Amidst widespread criticism and condemnation, the Borno State Chairman of the Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Mohammed Williams Naga, has denied ever endorsing the candidacy of Senator Kashim Shettima as the Vice-Presidential candidate of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 elections.
The chairman said the viral statement attributed to him was made when he granted an interview to some journalists in 2017.
On Monday, Bishop Naga was said to have applauded the emergence of Shettima as the running mate of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Bishop Naga was said to have praised Shettima saying the Christian community in Borno State had a better deal under him during his administration between 2011 and 2019.
“In the history of Borno State, there is no governor who has been fair to the Christian Community in this state as much as Governor Kashim Shettima.
“I am saying this in the presence of God Almighty and this is nothing but the truth. Governor Shettima, in the history of Borno, is the only Governor that has sponsored the highest number of Christian Pilgrims every year since 2011,” the statement attributed to Bishop Naga reads.
However, reacting to the story making the rounds in Maiduguri, the CAN chairman, denied making any commendation or issuing a statement to any journalist, noting the alleged endorsement was lifted from an interview he granted to some journalists on April 3, 2017, when Senator Kashim Shettima was a governor of Borno State.
He expressed shock that the members of the media would mischievously lift such an interview, and portray it as if it was granted recently.
Consequently, upon the unwholesome development, Bishop Naga said he has summoned a meeting of all the CAN representatives in the state as well as the national body, which comes up on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, after which CAN will issue a statement on its position regarding the development.
In his words, “I granted no interview to anybody on Monday, 11th July 2022. It was mischievous propaganda, seeking cheap popularity on my character.
“I have not granted an interview to anybody and never issued any statement. Was it not yesterday (Sunday) that they said they had appointed him (Shettima)? How come I granted an interview at the APC secretariat?
“Nobody called me. No journalist called me, except when this thing happened, when the papers were carrying it viral, then people were calling me.”
