.Warn Islamic leaders against inciting statements
Elders in the North have condemned the religious attack against the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by a Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi.
The elders, under a group known as North-East Consolidated Peoples Forum (NCPF), in a statement, yesterday, signed by its spokesperson, Mohammed Abba Liman, said: “Gumi’s attack was unprovoked, malicious, inciting and a deliberate misinterpretation of our history.”
The group, which was displeased by this development, described the attack as “unhealthy and inciting statement” and that the cleric was a “divisive element.”
The elders also condemned the unnecessary religious and ethnic incitements by those they described as “misguided elements and their sponsors” over the Israeli-Hamas war with intent to cause disaffection and disunity in the country,” saying “such does not represent the collective view and interest of the North, and certainly not Nigeria’s interest.”
Gumi had last week described the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, as “satanic” for receiving the Israeli ambassador who paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
The cleric equally accused the government of President Bola Tinubu of pursuing Christian agenda against Muslims, and that Christians cannot be trusted with power because, according to Gumi, if you empower them, they would turn around and kill you.
He asked the President to sack the FCT minister and said that Muslims would rise up against the President and would not allow him to finish his tenure in office.
The cleric added that it was Christian soldiers that killed northern political leaders in the past.
However, the northern elders disagreed with the cleric, saying: “We totally condemn such an unprovoked divisive statement from a divisive element who is seeking to destabilise the peace and unity of Nigeria for selfish reasons.
“The utterance is toxic and it should not be accepted by any decent and sound minded person who loves peace and our Nigeria.
“We, therefore, stand with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nyesom Wike. We indeed stand with Nigeria and, of course, the Nigerian constitution, for a better governance system,” Liman stated.
Also, officials of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) and Northern Youth Christian Network (NYCN) have warned Gumi to desist from religious disharmony meant to cause chaos in the country.
A statement signed by National President of MBF, Dr. Pogus Bitrus, yesterday, said, among others: “Several other Muslim clerics have followed Sheik Gumi in spreading this vulgarity.”
“As a Forum, we unambiguously condemn the messages contained in these trending video clips calling for the sack of Nyesom Wike as the FCT Minister on account of his faith or where he hails from.
“That such calls are coming from Islamic preachers is unfortunate and reflective of a nebulous and subtle agenda aimed at enthroning a state religion in Nigeria. God forbid! President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should not allow these religiously inflamed remarks by these preachers to go unprobed.”
