A Kaduna-based Islamic
scholar, Ahmad Gumi, has said he has no sympathy for any political party in
Nigeria.
He also said he stands by
his call on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign due to alleged failure of his
government.
Mr Gumi, a very influential
Islamic cleric, particularly in Northern Nigeria, stated this at the closing of
Ramadan Lecture for 2018 at Shaikh Sanusi Khalil Mosque at Rigachikun, Kaduna
on Thursday.
He was reacting to rumours
in the state that he was critical of the government of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) because of his sympathy for the opposition Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP).
The rumours arose from a
picture of him with two PDP leaders and strident criticism of the
administration of President Buhari
But the cleric on Thursday
said his criticisms are based on his quest for justice in Nigeria.
On the picture of him
sitting between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Kaduna State
governor, Ramalan Yero, the cleric said the shot was taken at a public event
long ago.
"There was a picture
that was snapped at a mosque in Rigachikun. When I was invited to attend a
wedding fatiha, on arrival I met him (Mr Yero) and former Vice President, Atiku
Abubakar, at the mosque.
"Then he (Atiku) was
still in APC as a member and contested against President Buhari at the primaries,
while Yero was then in PDP as a governor in the state.
"I was asked to sit in
their middle so I did. Now the picture is in circulation that I am a PDP member
that PDP paid me to work for them."
Mr Gumi said he does not
look at any Muslim as a PDP or APC member.
"Rather, I see him as
a Muslim brother. If he does justice I'm with him whoever he is."
L-R Former Vice President
and chieftain of APC, Atiku Abubakar and Dr Ahmad Abubakar Gumi. [Photo credit:
Fresh News in Nigeria & Breaking News]
He said Nigerians should
not discriminate among themselves on the basis of politics.
"Anything that we know
will bring misunderstanding among us as Muslims we must try to do away with
it," he said.
Mr Gumi recently came
under criticism by loyalists of President Buhari and APC in the state for
speaking against the anti-corruption fight in the country.
He had accused Mr Buhari as
prone to mistakes and falling to render good governance, asking the president
to resign.
In his regular Ramadan
Tafsir on June 9, the cleric said he would not stop pointing fingers at
President Buhari's mistakes, saying his government was a "total
failure."
He recalled also
criticising the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan and asking the
president to resign or be impeached.
"Nigeria's newspaper
carried a headline in 2012, when I said Jonathan has failed Nigerians and
should resign. So I also find it a duty upon me to tell this government the
truth, that it is full of mistakes, or else I become a hypocrite.
"Why I blamed Jonathan
was because of blood in his hands because Boko Haram were putting bombs
everywhere and the government was not doing enough.
"Anybody killed under
your regime, you are responsible for that blood. If you have done your best, I
can say yes, Allah can forgive you. But if you are relaxed, no; Allah will not
forgive you. So it is the same thing now.
"The bloodshed now is
more than during Jonathan's regime. So now you judge yourselves to be fair. Our
religion is a religion of fairness.
"Now more blood is
shed from negligence, from sleeping, from laziness, from I-dont-care," he
said.
"If I am true to
myself, as I called for the resignation of Jonathan, I should call for the
resignation of President Buhari, and with immediate effect! And government
paper should carry it also, if there is truth."
The cleric insisted Mr
Buhari's style of leadership is full of errors.
"Buhari is full of
mistakes. Full of mistakes! He is a human being like anybody. And I swear to
God that there are many people here in the North that can perform better than
him."
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