Muslim forum asks Kukah to apologise or leave Sokoto

The Muslim Solidarity Forum has asked Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Kukah, to tender an unreserved apology to the entire Muslim Ummah over his recent “malicious comments” against Islam.

“Our intention at Muslim Solidarity Forum is not to hold brief for the President, as he has those who are paid to do that; instead, our concern is the image and reputation of Muslims, which Mr Kukah finds pleasure in attacking without an iota of caution, and by referring to him [the president] as a Muslim, that automatically brings all Muslims [into] the issue,” the acting chairman of the Forum, Professor Isa Muhammad Maishanu, said at a press conference on Tuesday.

“As such, we call on Kukah to immediately stop his malicious vituperations against Islam and Muslims and tender unreserved apology to the Muslim Ummah or else quickly and quietly leave the seat of the Caliphate, as he is trying to break the age-long peaceful coexistence between the predominantly Muslim population and their Christian guests,” they noted.

Despite the criticism, and contrary to MSF’s claims, Bishop Kukah only condemned the Nigerian Government under Muhammadu Buhari for nepotism and the spate of insecurity in the country.

But Miashanu stated that Kukah’s statements could break the country’s religious faithful’s age-long peaceful coexistence.

He said he wonders how Kukah, who lives peacefully and comfortably in the heart of the Sokoto Caliphate, can make such a callous and senseless statement.

“These callous statements are unbecoming of someone who parades himself as secretary to the National Peace Committee and a member of Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC),”” Maishanu said

“The Bishop has a penchant for speaking in parables and innuendos.

“His reference to a people who possess ‘a pool of violence to draw from’ no doubt is a reference to those he has always characterised with violence – the Muslims. This is a serious provocation.”

Kukah had, in his 2020 Christmas message, titled, ‘A nation in search of vindication’, lamented that nepotism characterise the present administration.

He noted that there could have been a coup or war in the country if a non-northern Muslim President did a fraction of what Buhari did.

The cleric said under Buhari’s government, Nigeria appeared to be heading for darkness, with citizens travelling in a rudderless ship without any destination in sight.

The cleric’s comment has generated reactions, setting northern groups and individuals against one another.

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) said the Christmas message by Kukah was a call for a coup and forceful removal of the President from office.

The group described Kukah’s allegation of nepotism as unfounded and baseless, saying an analysis of the distribution of appointments across geopolitical zones showed otherwise.

Kukah while reacting to all the criticism against him said, “If you call for a coup, it means it is something that is not here. It is something that will happen in the future. So is grammar.

“So if I call for it, it means it is not ready. But if I say had it been so, so and so it would have, the tenses are entirely different, and I may be probably wrong, if you know better, let me know.

“So it is unfair for any journalist or newspapers to say that I called for a military coup.”