GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION: RESPECT THE RULE OF LAW

7^th April, 2015

PRESS RELEASE:

GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION: RESPECT THE RULE OF LAW

Nigeria successfully held its presidential election on 28^th March, 2015 amid allegations of harassment and intimidation by law enforcement agents. Gubernatorial and state assembly elections are now scheduled to hold throughout Nigeria on Saturday, 11^th April, 2015.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) expresses disgust at the manifestation of impunity as the Federal Government ignored two court orders prohibiting the use of soldiers during the election. This is a big minus in the records of President Jonathan. It ranks him in the camp of noncompliant rulers in democratic practices.

Soldiers were drafted to the states in their thousands about one week to the day of election. A country that is fighting a daring insurgency is not expected to use soldiers for a purely civil exercise. It was an unnecessary diversion and we strongly condemn the manner court injunctions were ignored.

Although those who canvassed the use of soldiers for elections had insisted it was for security purpose, the sinister motive behind the drafting of soldiers for elections became manifest in the allegations of electoral malpractices perpetrated by soldiers in Benue, Rivers and other states in favour of the ruling party during the last presidential election.

Voters were reportedly coerced by gun-totting soldiers. Opposition party agents were allegedly chased out of polling units at gun point. Those who refused to leave were reportedly forced to roll on the floor.

This is highly disgraceful. Such treatment is inhuman and degrading. It is a violation of voters’ Allah-given fundamental human rights. We charge the National Assembly to compile reports of the maltreatment of voters throughout the country with a view to fishing out the culprits. This should not be difficult because there must be records of soldiers’ movements during the election. Those found culpable must be taught lessons tough enough to deter a repeat by others in future.

MURIC says no to impunity. There must be respect for rule of law. Like Ceasar’s wife, security agents must be above board. Our soldiers must learn to obey only lawful commands. They must not allow themselves to be used by politicians. Neither should they be overambitious.   

In addition, the Nigerian Army should not allow itself to be pushed into the murky waters of politics in future. MURIC strongly denounces the ignominous role played by the Nigerian Army in the certificate saga of the President-Elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).

It is most scandalous that the general’s certificate which the army insisted that it did not have was allegedly found in its files few days after the general emerged winner of the election.

In conclusion, we demand the full concentration of the army in the fight against insurgents in North Eastern Nigeria. No soldier should be used for the state assembly election. Allegations of high-handedness and partisanship on the part of soldiers during the March 2015 presidential election should be investigated and the culprits must be punished. We advise serving soldiers not to ruin their careers by turning professional sycophants and riggers of elections.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

EASTER MESSAGE: LET NIGERIA LIVE AGAIN

5^th April, 2015

PRESS RELEASE:

EASTER MESSAGE: LET NIGERIA LIVE AGAIN

Nigerian Christians joined their counterparts all over the world to celebrate Easter from Good Friday to Easter Monday for the year 2015.

      

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) sends special greetings to all Christians here in Nigeria and the rest of the world. We affirm our love for all our Christian neighbours and express the wish to continue to coexist peacefully in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

We reject the hate messages of Al-Qaidah, Boko Haram and other misguided elements who engage in killings and destructions. We denounce those who ask Muslims to kill Americans, Britons and other people in the West. We assert clearly and unambiguously that Islam does not destroy, it builds. Islam gives life. It does not teach killing. Islam is a religion of peace, not of terrorism.

This 2015 Easter celebration is significant as it coincides with the paradigm shift in Nigeria’s political arena. We call on Christians and Muslims to unite in order to consolidate the new wind of change currently blowing across Nigeria.

In tandem with the divine and highly revolutionary message in the Qur’an that Allah will not change the condition of a people until they themselves change the (evil) among them (Qur’an 13:11), Nigerians voted for change in the March 2015 presidential election. This means that Nigerians have hearkened to the divine message and they have taken their destiny in their hands.

Our religious leaders, Christians, Muslims and animists must also allow this change to reflect in their attitudes. We must put an end to mutual suspicion, unhealthy rivalry and violence. Above all, never again should we allow politicians to use religion to divide us. We must allow Nigeria to live again.

Finally, we urge all churches to pray for Nigeria focusing on the following prayer points: that God should direct the minds of Nigerian politicians to think of the masses first before their personal interests; that God should put an end to insurgency within a very short time; calm in the Niger Delta; peace and prosperity for the country and, above all, that God should open the eyes of Nigerians to stop seeing corruption as ordinary stealing and to recognize it as a huge monster with jaws wide open to swallow up the social order.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

PRESIDENT JONATHAN LIFTS NIGERIA TO A LOFTY HEIGHT

31^st March, 2015

PRESS RELEASE:

PRESIDENT JONATHAN LIFTS NIGERIA TO A LOFTY HEIGHT

With the collation of the results in the 2015 presidential and National Assembly elections gradually coming to an end after the official announcement of results of 35 out of the 36 states of Nigeria by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has held a telephone conversation with  his main contender in the presidential election, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and congratulated him.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) commends President Jonathan for this singular gesture. It is a highly patriotic move revealing the latent democratic value in the president. This magnanimous action of President Jonathan has lifted Nigeria to a lofty height in the comity of nations. The rest of Africa, in particular and the world in general will now begin to respect Nigeria as a nation with rich democratic values. We doff our hat to President Jonathan for seizing the initiative. He is our man of the moment.

We congratulate General Muhammadu Buhari for this historical feat. We laud his determination, his iron will and his faith in hard work. We also felicitate with the Nigerian electorate, party agents and Nigeria’s sole electoral body, INEC.

In keeping with our avowed commitment to dialogue, we register our total condemnation of the violent protest which led to the burning of INEC’s office in Port Harcourt. In like manner, we strongly denounce the disruption of the collation process in Abuja by the representative of the ruling party.

It was most despicable, malicious and preposterous. There are better ways of registering a protest without destroying public property or turning oneself into a laughing stock. All grievances must be channeled through the courts. Giving violent expression on the streets is barbaric and uncivilized.

We urge the judiciary to treat cases that may arise on this election with dispatch. This will encourage Nigerians to eschew jungle justice and to take the court option in future. The National Assembly should also enact laws which will spell out punitive measures to be taken against perpetrators of electoral fraud.

 We believe that it is not enough to simply restore mandate to the owner, the culprits behind rigging of elections must be identified and pwinnerunished.

Finally, we remind the various political parties and Nigerians in general that President Jonathan has played the role of a responsible leader with the way he ended the 2015 presidential election by calling to congratulate General Muhammadu Buhari.

We urge every Nigerian to emulate him by immediately sinking our differences. Let us rally behind the new leader to build a strong and prosperous Nigeria. There has been no victor in this election. Neither has anyone or any political party been vanquished. The real winner is Nigeria because she is going to remain one.  

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

DON’T REPEAT JUNE 12 DEBACLE

29^th March, 2015

PRESS RELEASE:

DON’T REPEAT JUNE 12 DEBACLE

Nigerians trooped out in their thousands yesterday to cast their votes in the 2015 presidential and national assembly elections. They stood patiently on the queues in spite of the technical challenges. Both the European Union and the United Nations have congratulated the country for successfully conducting the exercise. 

        

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) commends Nigerian citizens for manifesting high level of patriotism by coming out en masse to exercise their franchise.

While the results of the elections are being awaited, we deem it germane to remind the candidates of their earlier pledges to accept the results of a free and fair election. We also remind them of the two peace accords to which they appended their signatures. We therefore urge them to continuously appeal to their supporters to avoid violence before and after the announcement of the results.

In this regard, MURIC charges the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to treat the results with dispatch. While there is need to be meticulous in order to avoid fatal errors, INEC is advised to avoid unnecessary delay because this is capable of generating tension.

In the same vein, we call on the Federal Government (FG) and the Nigerian security agencies to fully respect INEC’s independence. Breathing down INEC’s neck or arm-twisting it at this crucial period should not be contemplated.

We call FG’s attention to the June 12 debacle. The June 12, 1993 general election which was widely believed to have been won by Chief M. K. O. Abiola was the most peaceful, most free and most fair in the annals of Nigeria’s history. 

Yet the results were most criminally and callously annulled by the then military government.

We all know what followed. There was widespread civil disobedience. Sanctions were imposed on Nigeria by Western powers. Life became unbearable and we are yet to fully recover from its impact 22 years later.  

Nigeria must not repeat the June 12 conundrum.  

MURIC therefore strongly appeals to the stakeholders to let INEC do its work without let or hindrance. General Muhammadu Buhari can become Nigeria’s greatest hero and patriot nulli secundus by accepting defeat if the ruling party wins a free and fair election.

By the same token, the incumbent President Jonathan can make history by being the first democratically elected Nigerian president to respect what Rousseau called the General Will by handing over to the opposition party which won at elections.

This will save Nigeria, nay, the West African sub-region, the African continent and the whole world a lot of time, energy and lives. We therefore appeal that INEC should be allowed to announce the true results. The winner must be humble in victory. For the sake of Nigeria, other contestants should hasten to congratulate him and follow this up by dousing tension among their followers.  

MURIC reminds all the candidates to tread softly. Political power is ephemeral. Everlasting power belongs to Almighty Allah. The Glorious Qur’an affirms that to Allah alone belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth (Qur’an 3:180). He gives power to whom He wishes and He removes whoever He wishes from power; He gives honour to whom He wills and disgrace to whom He wills (Qur’an 3:26).  

Finally, we advocate a transparent, smooth and peaceful transition. Annulling the results of the elections will definitely bring back the ghost of June 12. An interim national government is illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional. Declaring a state of emergency, a military intervention or handing over to the military is not only anachronistic but also an open invitation to anarchy. The way forward, the path of honour, is to allow INEC to announce the true results.  

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)