Sultan of Sokoto and Kerry
The Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN) last Thursday blasted the US Secretary of States, Mr. John Kerry, over his last visit to the country. CAN accused Kerry’s visit of being personal and using the visit to promote discrimination, and divisiveness.
CAN also accused Kerry of using the visit which was targeted to sustain the persecution of Christians.
Most Christian leaders in Nigeria were not amused by the selective visitation schedule of John Kerry’s two-day visit, were quick in its condemnation, they also question his sincerity.
It will be recalled that during the visit, Kerry visited the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, met with the 19 northern governors, three of whom are Christians. At the Presidential Villa, where he was hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari, Kerry met with select northern governors, which also irked critics on the selection process of his hosts.
CAN President Rev. Supo Ayokunle told reporters that Kerry’s action meant lack of respect to the heterogeneous nature of the country. He accused the American official of favouring a section of the country and Muslims to the detriment of the Christian community.
According to Ayokunle, the attitude and disposition of the U.S. Secretary of State and the discrimination he adopted during the visit supports accusations that the President Barack Obama’s administration, alongside Kerry and other strategic U.S. politicians in the Obama’s government openly supported the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general elections, which produced the Buhari presidency.
