3rd November,
2022
MURIC HAILS FASORANTI FOR
ENDORSING TINUBU
Islamic human rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern
(MURIC) has commended the national leader of Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti,
for endorsing Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the preferred presidential candidate for
Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election.
The human rights outfit spoke through its director, Professor Ishaq
Akintola, on Thursday, 3rd November, 2022.
The statement reads :
“The national leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere,
Pa Reuben Fasoranti, has endorsed Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the preferred
presidential candidate for Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election.
“The highly respected Yoruba leader gave his blessings to Tinubu on
Sunday, 30th October, 2022 when the presidential candidate of the
All Progressives Congress visited him at his country home in Akure, Ondo State
(https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/562416-2023-afenifere-leader-blesses-tinubus-presidential-ambition.html).
“MURIC commends Pa Reuben
Fasoranti for his sportsmanship and broadmindedness. Pa Fasoranti’s name will
be engraved in letters of gold for ignoring the illogical, irrational and
inexplicable choice of Pa Ayo Adebanjo who declared support for Peter Obi of the Labour
Party (https://dailypost.ng/2022/09/26/nigeria-presidency-afenifere-shuns-tinubu-declares-support-for-peter-obi/).
“We advise Pa Adebanjo to reflect on the events surrounding the
June 12, 1993 presidential election, the role of the National Democratic
Coalition (NADECO) in confronting military totalitarians and, in particular,
the sterling quality of Bola Ahmed Tinubu among NADECO’s dramatis personae.
“Equally noteworthy for Pa Adebanjo is Tinubu’s heroic and
miraculous rescue of Yorubaland from Nigeria’s drift to a one-party state and
the attendant tyranny and dictatorship that would have followed in the hands of
no other than one of the sons of Yorubaland who found himself in Aso Rock by
accident but used the major part of his tenure to persecute Yorubaland.
Perchance such retrospective glance, like the last look at the Moor, will
remove the veil covering Pa Adebanjo’s eyes.
“A major significance of Pa Fasoranti’s endorsement of Tinubu is
that it is capable of uniting the Yoruba people as Muslims and Christians will
now rally behind Tinubu in a united front. The likely fallout of this
development is a future payback by Yoruba Muslims who have shown the
willingness to support a Christian candidate in future if their Christian
counterparts vote for Tinubu, a Yoruba Muslim, in the 2023 presidential
election.
“The 2023 election is of great importance to Yoruba Muslims because
of the likelihood of a Muslim from the region emerging as president for the
first time. All those who have tasted power in the past among the Yoruba have
been Christians (Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Earnest Shonekan, Oladipo Diya
and Yemi Osinbajo).
“It will be recalled that MURIC had earlier called for a Yoruba
Muslim president as far back as February 2021 (https://saharareporters.com/2021/02/26/yoruba-muslims-wont-support-any-non-muslim-candidate-2023-presidency-%E2%80%94muric). It is also worthy
of note that MURIC reiterated the call for a Yoruba Muslim president again in
May and October 2021, long before the presidential primaries (https://www.thecable.ng/muric-yoruba-muslim-must-get-2023-presidential-ticket-regardless-of-political-party;
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/10/2023-presidency-well-only-vote-for-a-yoruba-muslim-from-south-west-muric/).
“This goes to show how important the Tinubu project is to Yoruba
Muslims. It follows, therefore, that the extent to which Yoruba Christians
respond positively or otherwise will go a long way to determine the parameter
with which Yoruba Muslims will measure the future relationship between them and
their Christian neighbours.
“Yoruba Muslims and their Christian counterparts can work together for the greatness of
Yorubaland in particular and Nigeria in general if they can come together in
moments like this. We must think more of things that unite us instead of
dissipating energy on things that divide us.
“Christians and Muslims in Yorubaland must come
together at this crucial time for the purpose of grabbing the open sesame to
the doors of Aso Rock. The zone is fortunate to have the gem of the collection,
a unifier, a builder of men, a rare genius, a political colossus, the possessor
of economic magic wand, the man who turned Lagos to a land of gold, Bola Ahmed
Tinubu.”
Professor Ishaq
Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights
Concern (MURIC)
No comments:
Post a Comment