Buhari cautions religious, traditional leaders against partisan politics

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday cautioned religious and
traditional leaders against partisan politics, saying they risk
losing their public esteem if they keep taking sides.

“Having witnessed the roles our religious leaders have been
playing so far, I appeal to them to eschew partisan politics and
appeal to their respective members to read the manifestos of each
political party, discuss and pray for God’s guidance before casting
their votes,” Mr Buhari said during an interfaith conference.

“Religious leaders should not be seen to involve themselves in
partisan politics or political controversies. Otherwise they risk
losing their status and public respect,” he added.

Mr Buhari met with religious leaders at an interfaith seminar in
Abuja. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury in England, was
present at the event and delivered a keynote. John Onaiyekan,
leader of the Catholic Church in Nigeria, and Sa’ad Abubakar,
Sultan of Sokoto, were also present, according to a dispatch from
the State House Saturday afternoon.

He also extended the warning to traditional rulers, admonishing
them to encourage people in their community to be critical of
political party messages and reach an informed position before
voting for candidates.

“On their part, traditional rulers are also requested to
enlighten their subjects, encourage them to ask questions and seek
clarifications before going out to vote.

“As your President, I will request that you encourage your
subjects to come out and exercise their voting rights as
responsible citizens. To all of us politicians, I ask that we
discharge our political responsibilities with integrity, bearing in
mind that we will one day give an account to God, the Almighty,”
the president said.

The advice comes two days after some religious leaders helped
settle a long-standing animosity between former president Olusegun
Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar. Mr Abubakar emerged presidential
candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, last
Sunday.

Matthew Kukah, the Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto, David Oyedepo
of the Living Faith Church, and Abubakar Gumi, an Islamic scholar
and cleric, were present during the historic truce at Mr Obasanjo’s
residence in Abeokuta.

Whether Mr Buhari’s condemnation of religious leaders’
involvement in politics had anything to do with the role played by
the religious leaders in settling the dispute between Messrs
Obasanjo and Abubakar was not immediately apparent in his comments,
but the presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress have
strongly criticised the reconciliation.

Some of the president’s supporters have also attacked the
religious leaders for playing a key role in the reconciliation,
which many saw as constituting a major boost to Mr Abubakar’s
campaign.

Mr Gumi pushed back against such insinuations on Saturday,
telling newmen his intervention was purely on the basis of his
faith as a true Muslim.