Sule cautions religious leaders against drumming religious war in Nasarawa

From Daniel Abel, Lafia

Ahead of the Saturday guber poll, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has cautioned religious clerics in the state to desist inflammatory utterances capable of causing religious war.

Governor Sule gave the admonition while addressing religious leaders at the government house yesterday in
Lafia, the state capital.

Sule who sited a particular Muslim cleric issuing threat to non Muslims who would not vote a Muslim candidate in the forthcoming elections, warned that such act will not be telorated.

“The unfortunate event that is beginning to unfold in the state has created tension. We can’t afford a religious war in this state where multi religion and ethnicity is practiced.

“We must not allow politics to divide us. In every election there will be losers and winners, it is God who decides who should be a winner no matter what we feel or think.

Sule appealed to the religious leaders to comport themselves in a decent manner as the state approaches another election this week.

He however called on the religious leaders in the state to use the power to educate the congregantion to shun ethnic and religious politics.

Responding, the state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) Rev. Dr. Sunday Emmah commended the Governor for his timely intervention.

“Our people, the Christians in the state are already worried on whether or not to come out to vote in the Saturday election because of the threat, intimidation and provocating message currently being circulated in the social media by some religious clerics”, CAN Chairman said.

Emma called on all Christians to ignore all the threats and provocating messages and come out enmass to vote their choice of leaders without fear and intimidation.

In the same vein, an Islamic leader, Imam Mohammed Ali, who is the cheif Imam of the Jumaat Mosque, Lafia, cautioned those involved in heating up the polity with religious sentiment.

“We have never had religious war in the state since inception and we will not have one. All those circulating provokating videos and hate speeches should desist and allow peace to reign in the state.

The chief Imam assured that he would send messages to all the imams in the state to caution their congregants to shun any act capable of causing conflict ahead of the Saturday elections.