By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA – A coalition of Christian leaders under the banner of the National Prayer Altar has accused the Federal Government of breaching the 1999 Constitution by recognising the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) as equivalent to national examination bodies like WAEC and NECO.

The group warned that such recognition promotes one religion above others and undermines the secular foundation of Nigeria.

In a statement on Friday in Abuja, the coalition said the development violates Section 10 of the Constitution, which prohibits the Federal Government from adopting any religion as the state religion.

The statement was signed by Professor Kontein Trinya, Pastor Bosun Emmanuel, Professor A. A. Emmanuel, Professor Chinwe Nwagbo, Professor Olanrewaju Awotona, and 107 others.

“The NBAIS is, without controversy, a purely Islamic body. The curriculum is strictly Islamic, the subjects are exclusively Islamic, and the objectives are wholly Islamic. There is nothing secular about NBAIS.

“For the Federal Government to approve and recognise it as a national examination body equivalent to NECO or WAEC is a clear violation of the Nigerian Constitution,” the group said.

The coalition expressed alarm that the NBAIS certificate is now accepted as a valid qualification for admission into Nigerian and foreign universities, a development it described as inappropriate for a faith-based institution.

“The implication is that the Federal Government has surreptitiously made Islamic religious education a national curriculum and officially recognised it as such.

“This is capable of sending a dangerous message that the Nigerian state has adopted Islam as the favoured religion,” the statement noted.

The group also highlighted the absence of any Christian equivalent with such national status, describing the recognition as discriminatory and a threat to national unity.

“It is discriminatory and unfair to Christian students who do not have access to any such Christian body recognised by the Federal Government for the study of Christianity with certification. It is also divisive, as it elevates one religion over others, which is against the spirit of our secular state,” the group said.

Calling on President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, and other stakeholders to act, the National Prayer Altar urged for the policy’s immediate reversal in the interest of justice and constitutional integrity.

“The Nigerian state must not be seen to promote one religion over another. We must all rise to defend our constitution and protect the unity and peace of our nation,” the group stressed.