By Bode Olagoke
Abuja
Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) has promised Nigerians that if given opportunity to serve the country again he would not entertain, consider or promote the religious agenda of anyone, nor his party, or any member of his team that has any desire to Islamise or Christianise Nigeria or support anyone with such intention.
This assurance is coming as the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate got the backing of over 300 pastors under the aegis of Northern Christian Leaders Eagle-Eyes Forum.
Some of the members of the group include Pastor Paul Great, Methodist Church, Jos, Bishop Lawrence Awanorwo, New Creation School of Divinity, Niger state; Bishop Daniel Oboni, Christ Life Evangelistic Church, Bauchi state; Bishop Musa Gomson, Unlimited Mercy and Glory Church, Gombe state, Apostle Dr. Abraham Babe, World Christian Mission, Taraba state, Paul Zumta, Alheri Baptist Church, Sokoto state, Rev. Sam Adejoh, Life Changer Christian Centre, Yobe, Rev. Daniel D. Gonzuk, Amazing Grace, Benue state, Rev. Emmanuel Edesiri, Destiny Path Assembly International, Nasarawa state, Rev. Dr. Sunday Divine Later Times, Borno state, and Pastor Ifeanyi Ikeji, Zonal Coordinator, Lord Chosen, among many others.
Buhari, who used the opportunity to clear the air on some of the allegations against him on religious matter, told the gathering that though he is a practising Muslim but he has never belonged to or shared views of any extremist group.
He said: “Let me state this categorically, that I, Muhammadu Buhari, as an individual, and as president of this great country by the grace of God, given the opportunity to serve, have no personal religious agenda. And I will not entertain, consider or promote the religious agenda of anyone. I will not condone any initiative that seeks to promote one religion over the other. Neither I nor my party, or any member of my team, has any desire or plan to Islamize or Christianize Nigeria or support anyone with such intention.
“Although I am a practising Muslim, and I have been so all my life, I have never belonged to, nor shared the views of, any extremist group. I am not even a cleric. I believe that religion is personal and private.
“Many of the people close to me are not of my religion. My cook and driver for 20 years are Christians. Most of my bodyguards are Christians. Some were killed while protecting me in the terrorist attack on my convoy in Kaduna.
“If I have not Islamised these people who serve under me, how will I Islamize the likes of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Ogbonnaya Onu, Governors Rochas Okorocha, Kayode Fayemi, Rotimi Amaechi or Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a pastor? Or how will I Islamise Nigeria?”
According to him, the Nigerian constitution, which he said is similar to the American constitution, does not permit a state religion, adding that the Sharia identified in the constitution is almost synonymous with customary law.
Also speaking, Buhari’s running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, said one of the most important things to the lord Jesus Christ was the care of the poor, but he was surprised that “in our country, we are told we have a 110 extremely poor people, our country also is where 55,000 women die every year of maternal related cases.
“We have one of the highest infant mortality in the entire world and this is a country with abundant resources and a country with extremely poor people.
“Poverty does not know religion, it doesn’t know Muslim, it doesn’t know Christian, it doesn’t know Hausa, it doesn’t know Yoruba or Fulani, poverty is poverty, it affects people the same way. The corruption in Nigeria is such that so much money that should be used to take care of the people are being stolen.”
In his remarks, chairman of the forum, Pastor Habu Aminchi, who said his group had been in existence since 2003, also called on other Christian leaders across the country to follow suit.
“We have some few advice that I want to give you. Just consider yourself as the president of Nigeria. This group you are seeing, we have our women leader, boys’ brigade, the choir. A week to election everybody must go out to see how we are going to mobilise for you to make sure that in the 19 northern states you get 85 per cent and give them the remaining 15 per cent.
“If we can have those 19 states, we go to the South-west; if we get anything just merge them with the North and become the president of Nigeria. That is what we are looking at. We need a change.
“Sir, the forum said I should give you only one advice. By the time you are being sworn in as president at Eagle Square, first thing is to ask you for this favour: declare three days fasting and prayer for all Nigerians. Everybody should fast and pray and the topic is, ‘O God, have mercy and return our lost glory!’”
