Sultan of Sokoto and President General Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has urged Muslims to observe fast today (Thursday) and pray fervently for hitch-free, peaceful, free, fair and credible elections, while urging political parties and candidates to accept the results of the elections in good faith.
The Sultan, who urged Imams to dwell their Friday jumuah sermon on peaceful elections and tasked parents and guardians to ensure that their children and wards observe the election processes in the most peaceful manners, noted that rather than resort to violence, political parties and candidates should head to courts to seek redress, for the country to avoid the violence that ruined the 2011 polls.
Speaking in a statement signed by JNI Secretary General, Dr Khalid Aliyu, Sultan Abubakar said: “Jama’atu Nasril Islam under the leadership of Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and President General, JNI, urges the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria to continue praying fervently for hitch-free general elections in Nigeria.
“He specially calls on all Muslims to utilise the usual Thursday voluntary fasting on 26th March, 2015, to fast and seek Allah’s intervention in the forthcoming general elections. All Jumu’ah Mosques Imams are implored to centre their respective khutbah-sermons for this coming Friday, 27th March, 2015, on violence free general election period and offer special prayers to that effect.
“JNI calls on all parents, guardians and other stakeholders to monitor very closely their children/wards before, during and after the elections. The youths should in the name of ALLAH (SWT) sheath their swords, as there are many more general elections ahead, thus they should be calm, peaceful and law abiding before, during and after the general elections.”
The Sultan “implores the political gladiators to take the outcome in good fate and be sportsmanship because if Allah (SWT) spares our lives, we shall witness many more elections in Nigeria. The polity should not be overheated and the fragile peace in Nigeria should not be jeopardised.”
He said: “All forms of irregularities should be appropriately directed to the competent courts of law which are in tandem with best known practices across the globe.
“It is our prayers that free, fair, and credible general elections would be held in Nigeria. May the Almighty Allah continue to grant us peace, security, prosperity and development in Nigeria.”