On Tuesday, January 31, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, urged politicians to carry out their election activities with the fear of God in their minds. He also encouraged them to refrain from insulting and verbally attacking one another in the lead-up to the election.
Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were guests at the palace of the Sultan of Sokoto in the midst of their presidential campaign. The Sultan cautioned the politicians to be mindful of what they say, noting that insults and abuse do not reflect civility in this modern era.
The Sultan went on to say that it is God’s will to choose who will be president in the upcoming election, and that God has the power to give and take away power in an instant. He then called on all Nigerians to work together to ensure a peaceful and violence-free election. Abubakar III stated:
“Whatever you do with the fear of God, if you believe God gives and God takes, you will succeed and you will end well in this life. This life is a short stay here. We must work for eternal life there. And in doing so, we must never insult people. We must never abuse people. We must never break relationships and friendships, no matter what political party we belong to. We believe that when we are doing so with honesty and sincerity, we must fear God almighty. And I believe that’s the bottom line.”
Politicians have been urged to take the Sultan’s words to heart and conduct their election activities with the fear of God in their minds. They have also been reminded to refrain from using insults and abuse as they campaign for the upcoming presidential election.
