A body of Islamic clerics, under the umbrella of National Council of Ulama, has urged it members not to accept gifts offered by politicians in the build up to the general elections.
Making the call on Sunday, March 22, 2015, was the acting chairman of the council, Sheikh Abubakar Turata, at the general meeting of the council held at the auditorium of Sokoto state Polytechnic.
Turata stated that some politicians were bent on offering them worldly things influencing the clerics ahead of the forthcoming elections in Nigeria.
He appealed to the Islamic scholars not to be enticed into supporting wrong candidates in the elections.
“You should not be enticed into supporting wrong politicians because the money they may offer to you will end up tarnishing your image and the image of your religion. So reject it,” he said.
Turata added that the 19th century reformer, Sheikh Usmanu Bin Fodiyo, had succeeded because he turned down mundane offers from the then kings.
He urged the members to look up to God for help, adding: “Allah has many ways of enriching his servant.”
It would be recalled that the Christian community was recently alleged to have collected billions of Naira from President Goodluck Jonathan in a bid to support the incumbent President’s re-election bid.
Speaking at the event, Professor Ade Bello from Osun State stated that Muslims were being made second class citizens in the country.
He added: “There is no commentary by our scholars on the abduction in the North-East and on this election. It is high time to wake up from this slumber and take part in all happenings in Nigeria.”
The Professor also stressed the need for the council to be autonomous and to devise ways of getting its resources without relying on anybody.
Also speaking in the same vein, Sheikh Adam Idoko, from Enugu State, noted that the challenges faced by Muslims were enormous, adding that these should not deter them from practising their religion well.
Idoko said the emerging leaders of the council must live up to the collective expectation of Muslim community.
Sheikh Abdulfatah Thani from Lagos, during his remarks, expressed the hope that the meeting would bring a new beginning in the affairs of Muslims.
He urged the new leaders to live up to their responsibilities.
Meanwhile, Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto state said religious leaders had a role to play in enlightening the people to elect good leaders.
The Governor, who was represented by the commissioner for Religious Affairs, Alhaji Tukur Alkali, stated: “We need the calibre of people like you to come in and elect good leaders who will lead this country in a normal way.”
