Preach peaceful elections, Sultan tells Muslim clerics

The head of the Nigerian Muslim community, Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, has directed all Muslim clerics to preach about, and pray for peaceful general elections, starting Saturday.
The Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, on Wednesday urged Muslims in Nigeria to pray fervently for a hitch-free general elections.
The group, in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Khalid Aliyu, urged Muslims to use Thursday’s voluntary fasting to seek divine intervention in the elections.
The statement urged all Imams to focus on the need for peaceful polls in their sermons on Friday and offer special prayers in that regard.
It also called on all parents, guardians and other stakeholders to monitor their children and wards before, during and after the elections.
“Opinion leaders, labour and student unions, community leaders, women and youth organisations should closely synergise with security agencies at their respective domains in order to maintain absolute peace.
“The polity should not be overheated and the fragile peace in Nigeria should not be jeopardised,’’ the statement said.
It said all forms of irregularities should be appropriately directed to the competent courts of law in tandem with known best practices across the world.
“It is our prayers that free, fair, and credible general elections would be held in Nigeria,’’ it added.