– MURIC has given reasons why it does not want a Christian from the Yoruba race to become the next president
– According to the group, the majority of people who have presided over the country are from the Christian religion
– Going further, the group said it is not opposed to a Christian being the president, only that such a person must not come from the southwest
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Lagos, Nigeria: The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has insisted that the next president of Nigeria, if the position is zoned to the southwest, should be a Yoruba Muslim.
This was disclosed in a statement sighted by Legit.ng released by the director of the organisation, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
Akintola who said he is not opposed to a Christian becoming president insisted that such a person should be from another region that is not the southwest.
Source: Twitter
He said:
“Our true position is this. We want a Yoruba Muslim to be the next president if the presidency is zoned to the region by political parties. So there is a proviso and the key word is ‘if’. MURIC is not a fanatical group. We do not have a problem with a Christian president. This is a democracy and Nigeria is a multi-religious nation. So we are not opposed to a Christian emerging as president at any time so long as he respects the rights of Muslims.”
Allegation against Christians
Going further, Akintola alleged that Christians are dominating systems in the region because they are more educated.
He blamed the alleged domination by Christians on colonialists. He said they manipulated the system to favour their converts against their Islamic counterparts.
“Our grouse is with the system in the South West. It is an open secret that Christians dominate the education sector in the South West. Although Muslims form majority of the mainstream population, the Christians constitute the majority among the elite class. That is why the civil service is fully in the hands of the Christians while the Muslims are an overwhelming majority among the artisans and traders in Yorubaland. This situation can be traced back to the British Christian colonial masters who manipulated the education system in favour of Christianity.
Also, the organisation claimed Christians in Yoruba land have been having the best when it comes to ruling the nation.
“Two, Yoruba Christians have been military head of state and president (Mathew Olusegun Obasanjo, 1976 – 1979, 1999 – 2007), interim head of state (Earnest Shonekan, August 1993 – November 1993) and vice president (Professor Yemi Osinbajo, 2015 to date) but no single Yoruba Muslim has had the opportunity to taste power in the centre. Therefore, it will be unfair to give the slot of presidency to a Yoruba Christian again if the post is zoned to the region.”
Sharia in the southwest
In another report, MURIC declared support for the proposal to kick-start Sharia law in the southwest region of the country.
Akintola made the stance of the group known in a statement released on Saturday, May 29, and seen by Legit.ng. He specifically warned the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) to mind its own business.
The MURIC boss was reacting to a warning issued by the PFN on Thursday, May 27, rejecting any move by any group to introduce Sharia law to the southwest region through the ongoing constitutional review being carried out by the Senate.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that in what will excite some people and annoy others, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has made a request from the federal government.
The religious body requested for the immediate establishment of Ecclesiastical Courts in Nigeria. This was disclosed by CAN’s chairman in Kano state, Reverend Adeolu Adeyemo.
He made the request at the House of Representatives Public Hearings on the Review of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) taking place in Kano.
Also, Bauchi state chapter of the association called for the establishment of ecclesiastical courts in the constitution.
Source: Legit.ng
