The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has advised Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Regional Leader of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), to hold on until 2027 if he harbours ambitions of becoming Nigeria’s vice president.
MURIC’s Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, made the remark while reacting to Dachomo’s recent television comments in which he alleged that Christians are being marginalised in Nigeria because both President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima are Muslims.
During the interview, Dachomo reportedly described the Muslim–Muslim presidential ticket as “Christian genocide” and openly called for the removal of Vice-President Shettima.
Responding, MURIC described the comments as extreme, emotional and exaggerated, insisting that they undermine democratic values and the rule of law. The organisation stressed that the Tinubu–Shettima ticket emerged from a constitutionally recognised electoral process that was contested and upheld through the courts, including the Supreme Court.
According to MURIC, suggesting the removal of an elected vice president outside constitutional procedures shows a disregard for democracy and due process. The group maintained that anyone seeking the office of vice president must follow established democratic channels and wait for the next election cycle in 2027.
The Islamic human rights body further accused the cleric of sensationalising religious issues for political purposes, warning that such rhetoric fuels division and unnecessary tension in the country. It argued that portraying a Muslim–Muslim ticket as genocide amounts to deliberate exaggeration and misrepresentation of political realities.
MURIC also drew parallels with past incidents where public dramatics were allegedly used to distract from serious national matters, including the 2018 killing of retired Major-General Mohammed Idris Alkali in Plateau State.
While acknowledging the roles played by many Christians who, it said, rejected inflammatory narratives, MURIC called on Nigerians of all faiths to focus on confronting insecurity, banditry and kidnapping rather than deepening religious fault lines.
The organisation concluded by urging Reverend Dachomo and other religious leaders to exercise restraint and responsibility, reminding them that their words carry influence and should promote peace rather than provoke division.