Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has told his critics, as a result of his position on governmental issues, that they will sing his praises after the 2023 presidential elections.
The cleric is known for his criticisms of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. The last time he voiced out, he stated that the president was only favouring the North in his policies and appointments.
He was heavily criticized by a number of Nigerians, especially for the north for his claim.
But on Sunday during a virtual interview, he urged religious leaders not to grovel before politicians and to resist the political class from contaminating their faith.
Kukah added that religion has become a hostage to the political forces, adding that faith without reason breeds religious extremism and a situation where people kill in the name of God.
The cleric said, “Nigerian politics as you can see from Okija to other places has become so highly spiritualise and this is what happens in an environment when there are no predictors, there are no signs. Nigerian politician 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.
“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.”
