Be Wary Of Politicians Who Think They’re Above Nigeria — Tinubu Tells Muslim Leaders

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has urged Muslim leaders to beware of those he described as mean-spirited politicians who think they are more than Nigeria.

Gatekeepers News reports that Tinubu spoke during a town hall meeting with the Muslim leaders from the North West geopolitical zone in Kano.

Although he did not make a direct reference to Obasanjo, Tinubu said this set of politicians would go to the extent of deceiving and recruiting eminent persons to unsuspectingly preach division and hatred.

The APC flagbearer assured that he will offer fair and just leadership to all Nigerians if elected president.

He said, “Religious leaders like you are agents of harmony and hope, not division and disunity. All well-meaning Nigerians, regardless of political affiliation, must join hands against violence, hunger, ignorance and bigotry.

“We all must live together. No one has the right to try to lord over the other. Allah stands against such injustice. And where Allah stands, all bad things must fall. Mean-spirited politicians – those thinking only of themselves or those who think they mean more than the nation itself – will go to great lengths to deceive or recruit eminent persons to unknowingly preach division and hatred.

“They cannot win with the truth. So, they will try to win with a lie. But a lie never wins in the end. Those they cannot beat with honesty, they seek to beat them with untruth and falsity. They want to turn servants of God into preachers of division and hateful sentiment.”

Tinubu urged the religious leaders to ensure that they preach unity and harmony among their followers rather than division and disunity, noting that it is the only way the nation could experience development.

He told the Muslim leaders that he had demonstrated a sense of unity and oneness in all his campaigns and would continue to do so.

Tinubu pledged to conduct himself in public office on the values and ideals of fairness and justice, adding that he would always speak about facts and truths, policies and programs.

On expectations from him if elected president, he reminded the faith leaders of his record as Lagos State governor.

Tinubu said, “I promise to be a fair and just leader. This pledge is based on the Islamic teachings on leadership. A leader in a plural society is enjoined to be a leader for all. If elected, I shall govern in harmony with our nation’s democratic Constitution.

“More than that, I shall tackle this nation’s problems with a commitment to solving them. I say this not as a boast. I say it based on my record. As Lagos governor, I assembled perhaps the most diverse team by any state government. That team was based on competence, not tribal this or regional that. It was not based on the attire one wore or the accent one spoke with, but on the quality of one’s ideas and contributions to society.

“If given the chance by Almighty Allah, I will operate in the same spirit of inclusiveness and innovation in order to renew the hope of our people. My highest priorities shall be the protection of our land and prosperity of its people.”