CAN asks Tinubu to address ‘religious bias’ in NWDC board composition

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the North-west zone has criticised the alleged absence of indigenous Christian representation on the newly constituted 14-member board of the North West Development Commission (NWDC).

A statement on Tuesday by Sunday Oibe, the north-west zonal chairman of CAN, described the alleged exclusion as “unacceptable” and called on President Bola Tinubu to address the matter.

He said Christians form a significant part of the population across all seven states in the North-West geopolitical zone — Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Jigawa, and Zamfara.

“We wish to draw the attention of the presidency and the national assembly to the fact that governance is fundamentally about inclusiveness in serving the people”, the statement reads. 

“In the North-West zone, Christians form a significant population across all seven states. We are, therefore, deeply concerned that the government has constituted a board for the North-West Development Commission (NWDC) without including any Christian representation.

“We are saddened and alarmed by this outright exclusion of Christians in the zone.

“While former President Muhammadu Buhari was accused of nepotism and favoritism in his appointments. We now find ourselves raising concerns about what appears to be religious bias under the current administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“Christians in the North-West are an essential bloc in the Nigerian project, and their interests cannot be ignored.”

The association called on Tinubu to review the board’s composition and ensure adequate representation for indigenous Christians in the region.