All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) presidential candidate, Major-General Muham-madu Buhari (rtd), has said that he
would, if voted into power, abide by the provisions of the Nigerian
constitution, which says no Nigerian has the right to impose his own religion
on other Nigerians.
Buhari was fielding questions from newsmen yesterday in Benin, where he paid
courtesy calls on the Benin Monarch, Omo N'Oba Erediauwa, and the Chairman,
Board of Trustees of ANPP, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu (rtd), on his way to Kogi
State.
He also visited the Otaru of Auchi and the Onogie of Irua.
The ANPP flagbearer stressed that corruption was at the root of most problems
in the country, including youth unemployment and insecurity, and maintained
that an ANPP government, under him would tackle the problem head-long.
Buhari, who was accompanied by top notchers of the party, including Edo State
governorship candidate, Senator Rowland Owie, senatorial candidate for Edo
Central District, Engr. Clifford Ordia, the Edo South candidate, Col. Paul
Ogbebor, as well as state chairman, Mr. Pius Iyamah, and former Edo State
Governor John Odigie-Oyegun, said he did not see why he should apologise to
Nigerian media practitioners over the much-criticised Decree Number 4,
introduced when he was military head of state.
He emphasised that he had never, even as military head of state, pursued a
Northern Nigeria or Arewa agenda, stressing that he strongly believed in the
supremacy of the constitution and would, therefore, conduct himself within its
ambit.
Said Buhari: "the constitution allows people to practice any religion of
their choice. If the constitution has guaranteed every citizen the freedom to
practice his or her religion, then nobody has the right to act outside the
provisions of the constitution.
"The constitution recognises the Sharia legal system (but) the
constitution says you must not impose your religion on other people."
He explained that "nobody was taken before a Sharia Court" nor a
sharia judge appointed into the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land,
when he was military head of state.
He added that nobody was really opposed to the existence of the Sharia legal
system in Nigeria except that some human rights activists had kicked against
the cutting of limbs as a form of punishment for certain convicts.
On the tendency for the rather untidy language being employed by his campaign
organisation and the President Olusegun Obasanjo campaign group to further heat
up the prevailing charged political atmosphere.
Buhari said that it was impossible for him to personally scrutinise all that
goes out from his group. He noted that he had, however, maintained that he
wanted to campaign only on issues.
He promised to revamp collapsed industrial sector, manage the resources of
Nigeria well so as to reduce insecurity levels as well as "do something
definite about corruption."