Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah says those critical of him for his stance on security issues under the Muhammadu Buhari administration will turn around to praise him after the 2023 presidential election.
He stated this over the weekend while fielding questions from a historian, Toyin Falola, during a virtual interview session.
The vocal cleric said that those praising now could also cast him out in the future when his views no longer align with theirs.
However, Kukah said, religious leaders must maintain the integrity of their faith and not dance to the tune of politicians.
“Nigerian politics as you can see from Okija to other places has become so highly spiritualised and this is what happens in an environment when there are no predictors, there are no signs. Nigerian politicians don’t believe they can just win an election by fighting hard so, they are expecting you to pray for success of their political enterprise.
“It is not about electoral outcomes or how well electoral laws are; it is that we are operating in an environment that is so dubiously spiritual. The challenge for us as spiritual leaders is to maintain the integrity of faith. I have a bit of experience but I am happy and lucky that I have been able to go from one generation to the other, from one administration to the other because you have to be careful of the choices that you make.
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“There are lots of people who are unhappy with me today but I can tell you after 2023, the same people who are unhappy with me today will be the ones who will be singing my praises. The same people who are singing my praises today, if they come to power, they will be the ones who will cast me out.
“I am happy with that label because it suggests a certain kind of neutrality and this is where we should be going. Religion ought to be protected from contamination by the power of the state,” Kukah said.
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