The candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd), has once again pleaded with the Christian community to accept his candidacy, dismissing claims that he is a Muslim fanatic.
Speaking yesterday, when he met the Northern Christian Leaders Eagle-Eyes Forum, he pledged to protect all Nigerians if he wins the March 28 presidential poll.
Buhari had on Wednesday, met with the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and promised to protect Nigerians of different religions.
Addressing the 500 pastors, Buhari disclosed that he was irritated being given the toga of a religious bigot. He recalled that he had related well with his colleagues in the military, when he was in service, wondering how people came about the claim that he was fanatical about religion.
The former head of state, who was given a Bible said: “I would like to solemnly declare that in spite of what our detractors say, I am not a religious fanatic of any sort and I have never been.
“In all my life, I have never supported extremism of any kind, and nowhere in my record of service to this nation can this false toga political opponents have tried so hard to put on me, be substantiated.
“Indeed, it is very unfortunate and I feel extremely sad that I have to give this assurance.
“My background is in the army, and there is no doubt that the military is the most integrated pan-Nigerian institution.
“And even today, the military is one of the institutions that represent the pride of our nation’s possibilities in unity.”
In his short speech, the APC vice presidential candidate, Prof Femi Osinbajo, argued that the recourse to religion was PDP’s strategy to deceive the electorate. He insisted that the main issue should be how to address the poverty in the country.
Leader of the Forum, Pastor Aminchi Habu, said the forum since 2003, have been the pillars of propagating a lot of negative fabrication against Buhari and have help past administrations by doing a lot of things, saying what the country is passing through today make them to make a u-turn and support Buhari.
“The forum have realized that there is something inside General Buhari, you know when your destiny is mean to shine some people would be pulling you down but what God said it shall be, it shall definitely be. Today in this country south, west, east, north by the grace of God with the support of everyone, we are calling the whole Christians to come en mass as we are declaring total support for General Buhari.
He said as a Christians, they know that they have offended General Buhari in the past and asked that he should forgive them for the wrong they made.
According to him, “as Christians the best thing to do is to ask for forgiveness, without that forgiveness, no matter what you are doing, you will never achieve your aims. As you are seeing this forum here we have been the pillars of propagating a lot of fabrication against Buhari. Since 2003, they will call us and give us want we want in the world and we will go and run rubbish and the Church move faster than any other thing.
“We want assure you after this meeting, you and your Vice President should go and rest. I want all of you that I lead to be on our feet, we ask God to hear our humble cry because we need the mercy of God.
“When the General came in, I have been uncomfortable sitting next to him because I know what I being the leader of this forum did, I know how far we have gone but we thank God because the word of God said the rejected son always be the head of the corner , God want the two of you to be the head of the corner, on what we are passing through, and we have taken decisions despite all other begging us don’t do this it is a slap, come what do you need, but I said we don’t need money.
“Buhari, you are not wicked, but we make you to look wicked because of one thing or the other and pave ways for other to go inn, and after they go in, they will not even remember the bible I fact they want to destroy the bible, so it is a miracle that the bible is still existing and God allow the bible to exist so that there will be days like this.
“What this country need now is the people with fear of God, all this corruption we are talking about, all this insecurity is because we have abandoned the way of God, and we need people that will us to the way of God and we are only hoping that General Buhari would do just that.
He urged Buhari to declared a 3 days fasting and prayer for all Nigerians, both Christians and Muslims after he was sworn in as the President on May 29th 2015, so that God will have mercy and return our lost glory.
