To quell criticism over his choice of a fellow Muslim as his running mate, APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu has claimed that he was rechristened Abraham by the influential cleric and pastor of the popular Redeemed Christian Church of God, Enoch Adeboye.
The former Lagos State governor claimed that the RCCG general overseer referred to him as “Father of Nations” on the day his wife, Remi, was ordained as an RCCG pastor.
The day my wife was ordained a pastor, I was there. Pastor Adeboye gave me the name Abraham,” Mr Tinubu said. “I said what’s the meaning? He said father of nation.
On Monday, Mr Tinubu announced this to the Kano chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria. Peoples Gazette, however, cannot immediately verify his claim.
Mr Tinubu’s choice of a Muslim running mate in former Borno State governor Kashim Shettima has sparked outrage among Christians, with many accusing the ruling APC of attempting to Islamize Nigeria.
Tinubu ally and APC chieftain Lawan Babachir has threatened Christians to vote against the APC, calling the same faith ticket “satanic.”
Peoples Gazette exclusively reported in July that the State Security Service warned President Muhammadu Buhari in a secret memo that Mr Tinubu’s choice of vice-presidential candidate for the 2023 presidential election would spark a sectarian crisis, potentially destabilizing Nigeria.