The Northern Christian Association has criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over comments he allegedly made during the controversy surrounding land administration issues at Jabi Lake in Abuja, saying no public official should speak in a manner perceived as disrespectful to God or religious beliefs.
The criticism followed public outrage over remarks attributed to Wike, after a female cleric reportedly knelt before him during a public engagement to plead over a proposed development around Jabi Lake.
According to reports, Wike responded that even if “God comes down,” he would not bow to pressure regarding the issue — a statement that has since triggered reactions from Christian groups and religious leaders.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Kaduna, the Chairman of the Northern Christian Association, Joseph Hayab, said political office holders must exercise humility and restraint in both actions and public comments.
Hayab stated that while government officials possess constitutional authority to administer land and enforce regulations, such powers should not be used in ways capable of offending citizens’ religious sensibilities.
“Political office is temporary and should be handled with humility. No leader should allow power to create the impression that they are beyond accountability to God or the people they serve,” the statement read.
The association also said that as a Christian who professes faith in Christ, Wike ought to understand that public utterances from leaders carry weight and should promote peace, unity and mutual respect in a religiously sensitive country like Nigeria.
According to the group, the minister could have rejected the woman’s plea and defended the government’s legal position, without making statements interpreted as insulting to God or dismissive of believers.
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“We are speaking out against Wike just as we will speak out against anyone who disrespects our faith,” the association added.
The group insisted that its intervention was not politically motivated but rooted in moral and religious concerns over responsible public conduct.
The controversy emerged amid growing debates over land administration and development activities around Jabi Lake, one of Abuja’s major recreational districts.
Videos circulating online showed the female cleric kneeling before the minister during a public event while appealing for reconsideration of aspects of the development project.
