Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has asked Nigerians not to fight over candidates in the upcoming presidential elections, saying all the leading candidates can lead Nigeria without much problems.
Speaking at the weekend during a question and answer time after a teaching session, Sheikh Gumi said he will not tell the people which party to belong to, or which candidate to vote for.
Dateline Nigeria reports that there are 18 presidential candidates jostling to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, but four are considered frontrunners. They are Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)
Read also: 2023: Meet all 17 candidates eying Nigeria’s presidency after Buhari
Responding to a question concerning Peter Obi, Sheikh Gumi said: “I will not tell you which party you should join. This is because being a sincere, practising Muslim is better than which ever party you will join. So I cannot tell you which party to vote for or not, but I can give a useful advice.
“They (Peter Obi and his running mate Datti Baba-Ahmed) have come to me, I have listened to them and from what I can see, if he’s given the chance to be president of Nigeria, there would be no problem with that. Just like if [Rabiu] Kwankwaso emerges president, you won’t find any problem with him. For Kwankwaso also, you don’t have to tell him what to do. Because whatever you will tell him, he will tell you that he had already done that in Kano.
“Tinubu too, if he gets power, there will be no problem. I once sat with him for about an hour and half, I was assessing him and I think he was doing the same to me. I found out that if he gets power Nigerians will not have any problem with him. Forget about all the lies they are ascribing to him, there won’t be any problem with him.
“As for Atiku, he is for everybody. But what I am asking for – and I said that to all those I have met – is for all the candidates to agree to work together with whoever emerges president from amongst them in the interest of Nigeria. Don’t get angry and say you won’t do it. Come and join hands to get Nigeria out of the difficult situation it has found itself in.
“And if you observe, Tinubu once brought Atiku and gave him his party’s ticket to run for president. Would he have done that if Atiku were not his friend and someone he trust? He will not.
“Atiku also brought Obi as his running mate. If he had not found him competent, would he do that? Your second in command is the one who will lead in your absence. That means he does not have any defect that will stop him from leading.
“And Kwankwaso, like I said earlier, will not wait for anyone to tell him what to do. If you are talking PDP, he was one of the founders. Same thing with APC. So what will you show him?
“So I hope you remain calm and not fight because of this politicians. It is just like seeing a husband and wife having misunderstanding. If you interfere you in their matter, shame awaits you. There was this girl that once came to me insisting on leaving her husband. I intervened and event told the husband some uncomfortable truths because he refused. They even went to court. But after some time there was silence. When I tried to find out what was happening because I had not seen the girl for about a year, I was told that they have since reconciled.
“This is exactly how these politicians are. Don’t fight because of them because they will reconcile eventually. So I pray to the Almighty Allah to unite them, because they all have their uses. If we all join hands, Nigeria will be the better for it by the grace of God.”
