Cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, says Nigeria is a sinking ship and has urged all to toe the endorsement of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the next President of Nigeria by his former boss and President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Gumi and another Cleric, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, showed up at the reconciliation meeting between the former President and his deputy weeks ago.
Kukah has since dissociated himself from any political undertones to the reconciliation. But not so for Gumi.
Said Gumi to journalists on Sunday: “It’s very unfortunate! With this government, Nigeria is a sinking ship. I, therefore, want Nigerians to embrace forgiveness and to as well, emulate former President Obasanjo. He anointed Jonathan and when he saw that the same Jonathan was going to destroy the nation, he withdrew his support.
“It is the same thing now happening between him and President Buhari who is currently destroying the nation. So will you blame him of being bias? Once Obasanjo decides, it is our duty to follow in order to redeem the country from the paths to destruction.
“We have seen failure otherwise tell me any Nigerian who has not seen that apart from the sycophants. Islam admonishes its adherents to be just even when it is against one’s own self, mother, father, etc. And this is what I see in Obasanjo.
“It is not about his own interest but the nation’s. Managing this country requires intelligence, diligence and respect for the rule of law. In this case, when government does not respect its own laws, they should not expect adherence to the same law by its citizens. This is why the Fulani man will break or take the law into his own hands because government is indifferent to his predicaments.
“How then can you stop him? And instead of government to be remorseful and then find a way of bringing the abnormalities in the land to a stop, it has been abuses. How can you abuse someone who goes on a peace mission? Secondly, what stops me as a Muslim cleric from endorsing whoever I want? Not even Islam.
“In fact, to endorse the right person is a religious duty on me. Neither the Holy Qu ‘ran nor the constitution stops me from doing that. It is both a civic and a religious responsibility. Islam imposes on me the duty of endorsing the right person. I am only conscious of the ignorant and gullible ‘talakawas’ otherwise I will do more than what Obasanjo did.”