Don’t Breed Disunity In Nigeria, Sultan Charges Politicians

The Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA), Alhaji Mohammed  Saad Abubakar III has charged political office holders to see their elections into public offices as a call to service instead of being an avenue to cause disunity in the country.

Making the charge in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital at the weekend, during the Second World Conference organised by Nashirullahi Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) with the theme: “National Unity, a Precursor to development- Islamic Perspectives.”, the Sultan said, “We must have responsible politicking. When we use politics, let’s use the word, ‘politics’ or the political movement to be a vehicle to take us to the public office to serve the people with the fear of God.

“You can ride on that vehicle of APC, or PDP or Panadol or whatever it is, go to the public office, lock that vehicle and throw the keys away because you are going to serve anybody who for example as governor is from Kwara State whether he is of PDP or APC, Christian, Muslim, Jew, he must serve all irrespective of their religion inclinations.

“That is what leadership is all about because God that gave you that leadership did not make a mistake and when you lead, you must lead with fear of God. That is the only way there would be peace not only in Kwara but in the entire country.

“People say anything they want. They threaten bloodshed if they don’t get elected and people are just looking at them because they say there is freedom of speech but there is limitation to freedom of speech. When you incite people because this is incitement and we have laws that deal with incitement. These are things we must look into,” Abubakar said.

He further stressed the need for Christians to understand one another, noting that no religion teaches violence.

“If Allah had wanted, he would have made all of us Jew,” the Sultan said.

Also speaking at the event, Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, urged Muslims to be ambassadors of peace, adding that religious leaders should shun partisanship.

The governor, who also called on religious bodies to intensify their philanthropic efforts to lift the poor out of despondency, poverty and disposition to crime in order to check spates of economic related crises in the country.