The National Coordinator of the Young Christian Democrats (YCD), Mr. Ezekiel Dinfa, has asserted that only a Northern Christian president can truly protect Christian communities in Northern Nigeria from the rising threat of Islamist extremism and terrorism. Dinfa made this statement in reaction to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent remarks during a visit to Jos, Plateau State.
President Tinubu, while addressing a gathering in Jos over the weekend, urged Northern Christians to support his administration, citing his respect for religious freedom and the fact that his wife is a pastor. However, Dinfa dismissed the president’s comments as inadequate and tone-deaf to the realities faced by Northern Christians.
“This is not the time for the kind of statement President Tinubu is making,” Dinfa said. “Even Southern Christians do not understand what we are going through. Only a Northern Christian does.”
Dinfa went on to endorse Dr. Joel Gbenga Hashim as the candidate best suited to address the security and identity crises facing Northern Christian minorities. According to him, Dr. Hashim, a presidential hopeful under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is uniquely qualified to lead the country through its current challenges.
“He is a successful entrepreneur and one of the founding members of the PDP,” Dinfa stated. “He understands national security, economics, and the urgent need for unity. Dr. Hashim is a fair-minded democrat who will protect Muslims too, because like many Northern Christians, he has Muslim roots as well.”
Dinfa praised Hashim’s dual heritage, describing him as a bridge between Nigeria’s North and South. He likened him to General Yakubu Gowon, the former military head of state who helped reunify Nigeria after the civil war.
“Dr. Hashim is a true unifier. With Northern and Southern parentage, he represents what Nigeria needs right now. Many of the current presidential aspirants don’t even understand Nigeria, but Dr. Hashim does,” Dinfa emphasized.
He concluded by reaffirming the YCD’s support for Dr. Hashim, calling on all Christians, especially those in the North, to rally behind a candidate who understands their plight and can protect their future.
