7th October, 2014
PRESS
RELEASE:
NO
MUSLIM CANDIDATE PLANS TO CONVERT TO CHRISTIANITY
Our office has been inundated with requests for the
clarification of a rumour currently going viral about a presidential candidate
of the All Progressives Party (APC) who ‘plans’ to convert to Christianity in
order to win the 2015 presidential election. The candidate was alleged to have
said, “I can become a Christian if necessary so as to rule Nigeria”. This rumour is being spread on facebook in
Hausa language.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) wishes to debunk this wicked
propaganda. It is false, baseless, malicious and calculated not only to tarnish
the image of the Muslim candidate but also to destroy his chance at the polls. It
is total balderdash.
The rumour is obviously a dirty political gimmick which could
only have been resorted to by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in its
desperation to cling to power at all cost. Knowing that it is sacriledge in
Islam for a Muslim to desert his faith, PDP intends to paint the Muslim
candidate as extremely desperate, so desperate that he was ready to dump Islam
for Christianity.
The calculation is
that by selling this wicked dummy, the candidate would lose his teeming Muslim
supporters. It is an attempt at eliminating a political opponent by
subterfuge. It is demeaning, insulting and ridiculous. It is infra
dignitatem.
MURIC is aware of at least three presidential candidates in the
APC, viz: former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Governor Musa Kwankwaso
of Kano and former head of state Gen. (rtd) Muhammadu Buhari. We affirm that
all three Muslim candidates are fine gentlemen and good Muslims who cannot
contemplate the idea of leaving Islam for any other religion.
MURIC again warns the
ruling party to desist from demonising Islam. Nigerian Muslims have no anointed
political party.
Neither does MURIC, which is no more than a non-violent, dialogue-committed
Islamic human rights organization promoting Allah-given and fundamental human
rights of Muslims and other Nigerians. We advocate voting based on conviction
about candidates’ capabilities, not along religious lines. We also wish to remind the PDP in
particular and Nigerians in general that Muslims exist as members in all
political parties, the PDP inclusive.
We therefore advise the ruling party to stop playing religious politics.
If the PDP has mortgaged the franchise of its members nationwide by imposing
President Jonathan as its sole candidate, it should not attempt the ‘elimination
by substitution’ trick on its most feared candidate in the opposition party.
Finally, MURIC advises APC leaders not to commit the same
political blunder like the ruling party. All candidates must be given a level
playing field during the primaries while no single religion must occupy the two
main slots as presidential candidate and the running mate.
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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