Former Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II on Monday warned all Presidential aspirants to prepare for the onerous task of moving the country out of doldrum, declaring that Nigeria “is living on extra time” due the myriads of challenges confronting it.
Sanusi, who is the leader of the Khalifa of Tijaniyya sect in Nigeria, spoke in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at a reception organised in his honour as part of activities marking 80th birthday of Babanla Adinni of Egbaland, Chief Tayo Sowunmi.
While declaring that Nigeria would face more difficult time in 2023, he called on Nigerians to be ready to take tougher decisions in the interest of the country.
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His words, “to be honest, we are living on extra time. In 2015, we were in a deep hole. In 2023, we will be in an even much deeper hole than in 2015”.
“I hope all those who are struggling to be President understand that the problems they are going to face are multiples of the problems that were faced in 2015. All of us should be ready for difficult decisions and if they are taken, we are all going to pay for it”.
“The solution is not for all of us to jump into politics, this country needs good politicians, it needs imams and pastors and bishops who are going to stand up and remind the politicians about the fear of God”.
“It needs technocrats who are going to critique their policies, it needs traditional rulers who are going to speak as the conscience of the people, everyone has a role to play and we should try to play that role to the best of our ability.”
“I think the most important thing is that we should continue to pray for our country that whoever emerge as President, governors, senators, members of the House, leadership at all levels that we get good leaders”.
“And I think that we should also remind ourselves as Muslims and as citizens that that this country deserves better than what we have been given ourselves”.
“Allah commands you that you place trust only in the hands of those who are capable of handling that trust. If you choose somebody who is incompetent to lead you, if you choose somebody who is weak to lead you, if you choose someone who is dishonest to lead you, you can only blame yourself because Allah says you should only give that trust and He also explains to us what it means to be capable of holding that trust”.
“Someone who has the competence to do the job and who can be trusted. We should not choose leaders who are not competent because they give us money or because of personal interest”.
“I keep saying to my brothers in Tijaniyyaa that we should stop praying for people who come to talk to us to say come and pray for me to be governor, come and pray for me to be President, they go and take people’s money to go and read the Quaran for them”.
“We should look at all the candidates very well. We should choose the people that we think are competent and honest and then we decide who we want to pray for, not who comes to us with money or who comes to to beg us, whether or not they come for us. And we should go and vote for them and they should pray to Allah that our sincere belief that these are the people who are in the best interest of our nation”.
“Segun Sowunmi who spoke on behalf of the family, asked if Nigeria should be expecting a future President in Sanusi.
Sowunmi, a former Spokesman to Vice President, Atiku Abubakar asked “People who are Khalifa of your quality must never ever be relinquished or extinguished. So, they (people) asked me to ask you, are we going to be looking for a president in future? Do I even have the answer? I do not know. But one thing I have told them is that, for as long as you live, I have taken the liberty to say, you will always be a Nigerian patriot, a detribalised Nigerian, a leader of leaders, a holder of Ummah of Islam, the spiritual leader of the Tijanniya and the leading light of everything beautiful.”
