The Kaduna state chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) says it has perfected plans to challenge the legality of the recent religious bill passed by the former State House of Assembly.
The state Chairman of CAN, Reverend John Joseph Hayab, who spoke on the religious bill to newsman in Kaduna, said the former lawmakers hurriedly passed the bill before the end of their tenure. He disclosed that Christians in the state have all agreed not to accept the bill even if the governor of the state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai assents to it.
“We are going to court over the illegal action of the former lawmakers in the state who hurriedly signed the Religious Bill into law hurriedly before they left.
“I, as the chairman of CAN in the state or any official, was not invited for any preliminary hearing by the State House of Assembly on the bill that the House hurriedly passed before it was resolved. And even the Interfaith Council which they claimed would regulate the activities of Churches and Mosques in the state, most of the members don’t understand what Christianity is, let alone regulating our religion.
“They cannot regulate both private and public evangelism of Christians. What is the essence of Christianity if we cannot evangelize both privately and publicly? The law cannot work. We will not accept it.
“I was in America when the news of the Assembly endorsing the bill was announced. Now that I am back, we are going to challenge the unlawful bill that the people of Kaduna rejected.
“Even if the Governor assents to the bill, we will challenge its legality. We will not accept anything that would trample on our fundamental rights to worship and evangelize. We will go to court and challenge it.
“And for the sake of religious harmony, the government of Kaduna should avoid anything that will bring disharmony in the state. We have had enough controversies and issues of insecurity. Government should not overheat the polity again.”