The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, and the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Rev. Matthew Kukah, have urged Nigerians to rise above religious divides and work together for good governance and national unity.
Gatekeepers News reports that they made the call in Abuja on Friday during the unveiling of Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor.
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Sultan: “Islam Is After Good Governance, Not Power”
The Sultan stressed that religion must not be misinterpreted as a tool for political domination.
“Islamism is not aimed at seizing power at any particular forum. Islam is after good governance in society,” he said.
Recalling past criticisms, the monarch explained that his comments on Islam and leadership had previously been misread as political attacks.
“In September 2019, I gave a talk on Islam and good governance in Nigeria. President Buhari was just going for his second term. The following day, the papers carried it that I was aiming at his second term. But what I said was about what a good Muslim leader should or should not do.”
He added that Muslims are guided by a clear code of conduct that rejects extremism:
“You cannot be an extremist and then claim to be a good Muslim. Islam abhors extremism. So, let’s come closer as one big family with different backgrounds to make this country better.”
Kukah: “Extremism Threatens Nation-Building”
On his part, Bishop Kukah emphasised that religious manipulation undermines both faith and democracy.
“Islamism, that is what is called political theology in Christianity, is the manipulation of religion as a tool for governance in a democracy,” he explained.
He noted that while Christians have suffered attacks, the wider threat is to Nigeria’s unity itself.
“Yes, they are killing Christians, but when are we going to come to a point where they are killing Nigerians? Islamism threatens to destroy the foundations of Islam as a sacred religion, and we must insist collectively—because this is where Boko Haram started from.”
The cleric added that extremist ideologies have destabilised nations like Egypt and Algeria, and warned that Nigeria must confront hidden networks funding groups like Boko Haram.
“Maybe there was a time it didn’t matter, but we have come to a point where injury to one is injury to all. Islamism still poses a serious danger,” Kukah said.
