Vote for candidates who will ensure fairness and good governance, groups tell Muslims

THE Concerned Yoruba Muslim Scholars in Nigeria and the Political Awareness Group (PAG), South West, have called on all Muslims to come together and vote for candidates who will be fair to them by guaranteeing their basic human rights and anchoring good governance in the country.

The groups made the call on Wednesday during a press conference they delivered at the Central Mosque, Oja'ba, Ibadan, Oyo State.

General Secretary of Concerned Yoruba Muslim Scholars in Nigeria, Dr. Abideen Olaiya, addressed reporters on behalf of the General Chairman, Sheikh Abdur-Rasheed Mayaleke and PAG.

The groups said the call was in line with the position of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and the Supreme Shariah Council in Nigeria that Muslims should participate meaningfully in the upcoming general elections.

They condemned what they called the weaponization of religion by "certain elements" within the country's Christian leadership in campaigning for Christians not to vote for Muslims in upcoming presidential and other elections .

“This does not bode well for a country that yearns for unity of purpose and good governance. troubled waters of partisan politics,” they said.

The groups also condemned some Muslim groups which they say are campaigning for Muslims to abandon their civic responsibility to vote for the candidates of their choice.

"We hereby align ourselves with the position of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the Supreme Sharia Council in Nigeria that all Muslims should go out and vote for candidates who can guarantee their basic human rights without discrimination and for the good governance of the country,” they added.

At the alleged invitation of the Director of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Prof. Ishaq Akintola, by the Ibadan office of the Directorate of Security Services (DSS) following a statement criticizing the state government of 'Oyo for allegedly violating the rights of Muslims, especially Muslim students, the groups called on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail against the security agency.

The groups said: "To us, the concerned Yoruba Muslim scholars in Nigeria and the political outreach group in South West Nigeria, it is shocking that the DSS allows itself to be used as a political tool to make silence the voice of truth and intimidate a civil rights activist.

“We call on the DSS to be professional and to understand that religious issues are very sensitive and volatile. would be considered an attack on Muslims in Yorubaland and Nigeria as a whole.

"We challenge the DSS to go public with what exactly are the allegations against Professor Akintola, if not his fierce fights for Muslim rights which he is waging through legal means.

"Furthermore, it is worrying that the DSS wants the professor to leave Lagos where he resides to answer questions in Ibadan despite several logistical bottlenecks plaguing the country.

"For someone whose life has been repeatedly threatened, it may be unintelligent to ask him to come for such an interrogation. What happens to the weapons of the DSS in Lagos? Nothing must happen to Professor Akintola. He has committed no recognizable offense by exposing anti-Muslim developments in Oyo State.

"We are also aware that the Oyo State branch of MURIC approached the court to seek redress and protect the fundamental rights of Professor Akintola. This should not have been necessary had the DSS acted to responsibly and avoided the victimization of the Muslim rights singer.

"We urge the DSS to uphold the rule of law by refraining from acting outlandishly by forcibly arresting Professor Akintola or unlawfully invading his residence."

The groups have called on state governors, particularly Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, to reciprocate the gesture of Muslims whose overwhelming votes brought them to power by ensuring fairness and justice. justice in their relations with the different strata of society.