Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN) has expressed dismay over the attitude of some political and religious leaders toward inciting and promoting interfaith conflicts in their political campaigns and sermons.
This, the association said must stop for the sake of Nigeria’s unity and progress.
Hon. Khalil Mohd Bello, KACRAN’s National President, made this known in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Thursday in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.
The Association appealed to all politicians, religious leaders, and all Nigerians to discountenance as well as disregard political campaigns urging people to vote on religious or tribal lines.
“It is worrisome and disheartening that, we have come to a situation where some religious preachers openly tell people not to vote for a member of a particular tribe or religion. This is irritating.
“This in the end will lead to more disunity and disenchantment, and a dangerous move for our national unity”, Bello warned.
The National President who maintained that Nigeria’s politics is not ethnocentric or faith-based said that is why in the entire country no mosque, church, or any other place of worship is named after a political party.
He cautioned politicians as well as religious leaders to desist from exploiting the ignorance of especially rural people to cajole them or incite them to vote along ethnic or religious line.
“Ethno-religious campaigns, will bring more harm than good to our political process and national unity. Moreover, we encourage all party candidates not to allow such campaigners to be part of their campaign teams”, he admonished.
KACRAN, through the National President, further advised Nigerians to avoid anything that will bring division to the country but concentrate only on what will bring peace, unity, and cohesion to the country.
“Our politicians and religious leaders should note that it is their responsibility to do everything humanly possible to unite Nigerians, but not act on the contrary. The candidate’s good records, character, capacity, competence, previous performances if any, and ability to solve our national security problems and bring rapid developments in the country, are some of the qualities that the electorates suppose to look for and not religious or tribal bias or sentiments.
“KACRAN, wonders why some Nigerians in the 21st century, are trying to drag Nigeria back into the dark ages, where tribal and or religious divides are the main factors for consideration in politics, above competence and capacity”, he said.
In the same vein, due to the importance attached to the possession of voters card, the association appealed to all eligible Nigerians who are yet to register or collect their Permanent Voter’s Card to do so.
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