Judas Iscariot/Jesus Christ Poster: Tinubu Being Targeted by Blasphemous Campaign, Says Media Office
- Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu's media office has released a statement on a poster describing the APC leader as Jesus and Vice President Osinbajo as Judas Iscariot
- The media office said the plan of those behind the poster is to incite animosity against the former Lagos governor and APC presidential hopeful
- While promising to conduct its activities on truth and morality, the media officer called on Nigerians to shun unpatriotic political campaigns
Lagos - The media office of Bola Tinubu, national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and presidential hopeful, says the former Lagos governor, is being targeted by a “blasphemous campaign”.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, April 19, and made available to Legit.ng, the media office said the plan of the creators of the campaign is to incite animosity against Tinubu.
Source: Twitter
The statement reads:
“The orchestrated set-up of a poster campaign seeking to use a literary application of the Biblical story of Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus Christ to rope Asiwaju Tinubu into a storm of blasphemy is the most desperate antics of anti-Tinubu propagandists in recent times.
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“Our investigations have revealed that those who created the offensive poster were the same people who created the counter-campaign alleging blasphemy.
“Their design is to use both to provoke anger against the person and aspiration of Asiwaju Tinubu. This campaign has failed.
“This is clearly irresponsible and insensitive political propaganda that seeks to exploit religious sentiments to manipulate public perception against Asiwaju Tinubu, who is ostensibly the most formidable presidential aspirant in this race.
“It is widely known that Asiwaju Tinubu is married to not just a Christian but an ordained pastor, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and has developed a very deep fraternal relationship with Christendom at all levels, a fact acknowledged by many bishops, pastors and parishioners over the years.
“A known Muslim, Asiwaju in words and actions has demonstrated religious tolerance and accommodation. He believes in the cardinal principle of the Nigerian Constitution that no one should suffer discrimination on the basis of creed or opinion. Besides, as a former governor of Lagos, a state that is a microcosm of Nigeria in terms of religious diversity, his matured management of religion as a way of life, ensured inter-religious harmony in Nigeria’s most industrialised state.
“It is therefore impudent to contemplate that a statesman of Asiwaju Tinubu’s standing will condone Biblical allusions that could denigrate his person or status.
“These basic facts were ignored by those desperate to set Muslims against Christians through deliberate disinformation of the general public.”
While calling on Nigerians to shun unpatriotic political campaigns, Tinubu’s media office said it will conduct its activities on truth and morality.
“While we shall continue to appeal to the Nigerian people to ignore such campaigns of calumny, we reiterate our commitment to prioritising our political communication on the exposition of the truth and dissemination of our point of view with decency and regard to the feelings of Nigerians."
“This is an irreducible minimum for us. We urge others to join us in this patriotic mission by shunning desperation and verbal violence in the campaign for the highest office in the land.”
Legit.ng notes that the media office was reacting to a poster which painted Tinubu as Jesus and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Tinubu, according to several accounts, played a frontline role in Osinbajo's emergence as the APC's vice presidential candidate in 2015. Thus, some believe it's an act of betrayal for the vice president to declare interest in the presidency which Tinubu is also interested in.
2023: Osinbajo's declaration not a threat to Tinubu's ambition, Lagos APC spokesman
Meanwhile, the Lagos state APC spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, has reacted to the presidential declaration of the Vice President Osinbajo.
In a chat with Legit.ng, Oladejo disclosed the VP's announcement at this period is expected, adding that the APC's primaries would determine how the game would play out in 2023.
He said:
"There is no problem. We knew he was going to declare. They should allow us to go to the primary. Let him come and face Asiwaju (Tinubu). There is no problem."
Source: Legit.ng
