The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has called for the withdrawal of the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah from the National Peace Committee led by former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar.
The organisation made the call in a statement issued by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke on Tuesday in Abuja.
The group said the call had become necessary because of Kukah’s alleged open display of support for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
It noted that the Abdulsalam Abubakar-led committee was one that should be seen to be non partisan because of the role it was meant to play in the run-up to the 2015 general elections.
“We are surprised, like many Nigerians, to see Bishop Kukah in the company of the opposition candidate at a reconciliation meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo,” the group said.
It recalled that Kukah had later on claimed to be the strategic mind behind the reconciliation which was targeted at bringing the two parties together to fight President Buhari administration.
“This is not expected of a clergyman who is seen in some quarters as the alternate head of the National Peace Committee.
“He has shown his bias and as such cannot be trusted to be non-partisan,” the group stressed.
It dismissed claims by the Catholic Bishop that he was not aware of the political nature of the gathering as tales that no one would believe.
According to the group, Kukah is the key figure behind the reconciliation, a step he took knowing that Atiku was a PDP presidential aspirant.
“And if it is true that Bishop Kukah is insisting that he was only exercising his right to free movement.
“We are also demanding that having shown his hand, he has no reason to sit on a panel that is meant to be non-partisan,” the group maintained.
It added that it fully supports President Buhari’s admonition that religious leaders abstain from partisan politics. (NAN)