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Religious Literacy an Essential Ingredient for National Cohesion – CAN President, Okoh

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The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Daniel Okoh, has described religious literacy as an essential tool for national cohesion, especially in a diverse country like Nigeria.

Okoh, who co-chairs the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), spoke on Wednesday alongside the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. The statement came at the first Triennial Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja. He said Nigeria’s ethnic, cultural and religious diversity should be seen as a source of strength rather than division.

According to him, “Religious literacy is not merely the academic understanding of doctrines or rituals. It is the cultivation of awareness, sensitivity and respect for the beliefs and practices of others.”

He opined that misunderstanding and manipulation of religion often fuel division, conflict and mistrust, stressing the need to mainstream religious literacy into schools, public discourse and community engagements to counter misinformation, hate speech and divisive rhetoric.

According to Okoh, places of worship must become centres of enlightenment, where messages of peace, unity and responsible citizenship are consistently emphasised. He called for stronger collaboration among faith communities, civil society groups and the media to promote peaceful coexistence and national unity.

He noted that NIREC had, over the years, served as an important platform for dialogue, conflict resolution and mutual understanding between Christians and Muslims, saying that they have demonstrated that despite their religious differences, they share common values of peace, justice, dignity of human life and the well-being of the nation.

The CAN president reaffirmed the commitment of the Christian body to working with Muslims and other stakeholders to build a nation where all citizens feel safe, valued and respected regardless of their faith.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, however, dismissed claims of planned Islamisation of Nigeria, saying that Muslims were not planning to decimate the Christian population in the country.

According to him, much of the violence often described as religious is being misunderstood, deepening suspicion and mistrust.

The Sultan said, “Today, as I stand here, I want to affirm that Muslims are not in a hurry and are not planning anything like decimating the population of Christians in Nigeria. We are not in any position whatsoever to remove Christians from Nigeria. No, it is not possible.”

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Mass Defection @ Oyo PDP As Makinde’s Loyalists Dump Party

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The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, took another dimension on Thursday when key political loyalists and associates of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State announced their resolve to leave the party.

DAILY POST gathered that the PDP has been embroiled in a series of crises in the last few months.

Our correspondent reports that a faction of the party is loyal to the governor.

Another faction is loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike.

DAILY POST gathered that many key loyalists of Governor Seyi Makinde in Oyo State have left the party.

The loyalists announced their defection from the PDP on Thursday in separate locations.

Although there are speculations that they are on their way to the Allied Peoples’ Movement, none of those who resigned from the PDP stated the next political party they intend to join.

As at the last count, our correspondent learnt that no fewer than ten prominent chieftains of the party in the state had dumped the party.

Some of those who dumped the party are gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the party, Ambassador Olufemi Oguntoyinbo; Special Adviser on Security to the governor, Mr Fatai Owoseni; and Chairman of Oluyole Local Government Area, Engineer Akeem Olatunji.

Others are the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abiodun Fadeyi; member of the House of Representatives representing Ibarapa North/Ibarapa Central Federal Constituency, Anthony Adepoju; his counterpart representing Ibadan North East/Ibadan South East Federal Constituency, Abass Adigun; and the member representing Ibadan North West/Ibadan South West Federal Constituency, Adedeji Olajide.

Fadeyi, who represents Ona Ara State Constituency in the House of Assembly, while speaking with DAILY POST, noted that he dumped the PDP due to the internal crisis rocking the party.

Fadeyi, in a telephone conversation with DAILY POST on Thursday, said: “Yes, I am also leaving the party. I am defecting, of course. The reason is what others are giving. What are the reasons others are giving? It is due to the internal crisis.”

Olatunji, a former Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state, in his own remark, also cited internal crisis as the reason for his defection.

Olatunji, in a telephone conversation with DAILY POST on Thursday, said: “Yes, it is true. Due to the internal crisis. You know Wike has bastardized the party. He did not allow the party to breathe. We need to give the people of our constituency the opportunity to enjoy good governance.”

As at the time of filing this report on Thursday, DAILY POST gathered that more loyalists of the governor were on their way out of the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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2027 ELECTION: ‘We will Interrogate What Peter Obi Did To Northerners As Anambra Governor’ – Prof Yusuf

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Former Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, Prof Usman Yusuf, has recounted what former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, did to northerners when he was Anambra State governor.

Speaking during an interview on Trust TV, Yusuf said Obi sent northerners out of Anambra as governor.

He also alleged that Obi made northerners staying in Anambra at the time to have identity cards.

“Kwankwaso is the vehicle to sell Peter Obi to the North, but we have the record of what Peter Obi did to northerners.

“The evil that men do lives after them. I said this because we (Northern Muslims) are going to interrogate and question Peter Obi’s tenure when he was the governor of Anambra State. What he did to northerners.

“He even made them have an ID card, their names, where they are from and their occupations. In this Nigeria that we live. He will come and explain to us.

“It is the same Kwankwaso that had to fly to Awka and sit with him and say, be careful. I have more Igbos in Kano living in peace than there are northerners throughout the South-East,” Yusuf said.

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