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MURIC slams Cardinal Onaiyekan over 2023 presidential election
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) on Thursday criticised the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, for describing the victory of President-Elect in the 2023 election, Bola Tinubu, as ‘discredited’.
MURIC’s reaction was contained in a statement sent to POLITICS NIGERIA by its Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
Onaiyekan had labelled the outcome of the 2023 election as “tragically questionable results”.
But reacting, MURIC described the Cardinal’s ‘outburst’ as jaundiced and disappointing.
MURIC’s statement reads: “The Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese, Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has described the victory of President-Elect, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, as ‘discredited’. Onaiyekan was quoted as saying, ‘I love peace but will never endorse Tinubu’s discredited victory to pacify Nigerians’
“We are miffed by Cardinal Onaiyekan’s outburst. It is jaundiced and disappointing. It is integrity-bruising. He had hitherto occupied a lofty position of veneration in Muslim circles. He was believed to be the epitome of moderation and the embodiment of tolerance and fairness. His figure towered above gymnastic religiousity. But he has now disappointed his Muslim admirers.
“America, Britain, China, India, African countries and others have congratulated the winner but Onaiyekan still considers the victory ‘discredited’. It is astonishing that a man whom the Muslims used to consider as the only objective Christian leader who is far from the tramadolised crowd has let them down.
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“Onaiyekan should have advised opposition candidates among the winners of Senate and House of Representatives elections who trooped out to collect their return certificates on Tuesday and Wednesday to boycott the event. Or is it Tinubu’s victory alone that was ‘discredited’?
“Leaders must choose their words very carefully. Whoever wants to be judgemental must not be selective. Those who come to equity must come with clean hands. How can the election be ‘discredited’ for Tinubu as a winner but ‘credible’ for winners among members of the opposition?
“Better still, the Cardinal should have told the opposition, particularly his anointed candidate, to boycott the election ab initio. Cardinal Onaiyekan is crying over spilt milk. It is useless locking the gate after the horse has bolted. All the political parties that participated in the election are already involved.
“We do not expect a leader of Onaiyekan’s status to manifest bitterness while licking his wounds. Nigerians understand what happened. Without conducting a census based on creed, the cardinal had shared the delusional belief that Christians outnumber Muslims in Nigeria. Of course he learned the hard way.
“It was on that basis that he encouraged the brazen confrontation of the Muslim-Muslim ticket. There is bound to be shock and aftershock after a political tsunami.
“It is our considered opinion that Cardinal Onaiyekan’s statement is designed to massage the ego of Christian leaders with all their false soothsayers. Instead of dissipating his energy on denying the reality, we actually expected Onaiyekan to identify and assemble those who misled Nigerian Christians with their false predictions and ridiculous prognostications for some home truths.
“Apart from those who foresaw victory for opposition figures, a pastor told Nigerians that there would be no election at all in 2023. He said it was God who told him. We know his name. We have the evidence. We kept quiet at the time because we knew that he was only discrediting himself.
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“It was these false prophesies that filled many Nigerian Christians (not all) with false hope which eventually led to frustration. These are the people Onaiyekan should be tutoring at this stage. He should be speaking against Christian entitlement mentality in Nigeria. He should invite those who gave false predictions for counselling on how not to lie against God.
“Jeremiah 14:14 said, ‘The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.’
“This is from the same Bible to which all Nigerians have access. Why are our prophesy-addicted pastors determined to challenge what God says in the Bible and why have Christian leaders like Cardinal Onaiyekan refused to call them to order? We did not expect the much respected cardinal to tow the path of those suffering from intellectual poverty.
“MURIC appreciates many other Christians who are not swayed by emotions and false predictions. They are pragmatists and they know what actually happened. The Christian candidate was only acceptable in the South East, South South and some parts of North Central.
“Besides, challenging the North over the majority status question was a fatal mistake. Junketing from one church to another while ignoring the mosque was politically naive. But the electoral suicidal statement was asking the church to ‘take back your country’.
“We are surprised that Onaiyekan left pastors who are misleading Nigerians with false predictions and started blaming the Muslim candidate whose Imams never prophesy. Or has Onaiyekan ever seen or heard of an Islamic scholar prophesying? He is idolizing fiction and demonising reality. Who did this to Nigeria?
“Instead of acknowledging Tinubu’s superior political strategy as exhibited in his choice of a Muslim-Muslim ticket and instead of putting his house in order and de-escalating tension, Onaiyekan ignored the spiritual decay in Christendom to demarket a well-deserved victory won by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We are constrained to ask, et tu Onaiyekan?”
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Four bandits, including notorious leader, killed in Kaduna operation
Four bandits, including notorious leader, killed in Kaduna operation
Security forces have reported to the Kaduna state government that troops of Operation Whirl Punch neutralized four bandits, including one notorious bandit leader, during fighting patrols in Giwa Local Government Area of the state at the weekend.
Samuel Aruwan, Overseeing Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
“Acting on credible intelligence, the troops sighted bandits fleeing the latter location and engaged the criminals in hot pursuit. The troops neutralized two of the bandits and recovered a range of items including a motorcycle, a mobile phone, gas lighters, tobacco, assorted charms, and a polythene bag containing petrol.
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“Another leg of the operation was conducted at Basurfe village, southwest of Kindandan. The troops fought through an ambush and forced the bandits to flee on motorcycles. A vigorous pursuit resulted in two more bandits being neutralized. The troops further exploited the area and dislodged a camp serving as a treatment area for the insurgents.
“Recoveries made at the location included two AK47 rifles, one pump action rifle, three magazines, 16 rounds of ammunition, one Improvised Explosive Device (IED), two radios and one motorcycle, as well as cigarettes, drugs and medical accessories.
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Ekiti court hands down life sentence to 43-year-old man for attempted murder
Ekiti court hands down life sentence to 43-year-old man for attempted murder
Ado-Ekiti—An High Court, sitting in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, has sentenced one Akinyemi Ojo to life imprisonment for attempted murder.
Ojo, 43 was arraigned before Justice Blessing Ajileye on 25th January, 2023 on one count charge bordering on attempted murder.
According to the charge, Ojo attempted to murder one David Faith on Dec. 5, 2022 in Aramoko -Ekiti by matcheting her, an offence that is punishable according to Section 241 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
In her testimony before the court, the victim stated, “I was going to my farm on that day, I met the defendant on the way and we exchanged pleasantry, I later branched to my farm to pluck some okro, after sometime, I saw the defendant coming towards where I was, holding a cutlass, I suspected his movement to be of evil agenda, I then took to my heels, he was chasing me with cutlass and met me where I fell.
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“He gave me matchet cuts all over my body and I became unconscious, I did not see him again when I regained little consciousness, I crawled to the main road where some passersby took me to the General Hospital, Aramoko -Ekiti, I did not know my offence or why he decided to kill me” she concluded.
The prosecutor, Taiwo Ajibulu-Ariyo, called five witnesses and tendered defendant and victims’ statements, cutlass and pictures of the victim as exhibits while the defendant spoke in his own defence through his lawyer and called no witness.
In his ruling, Justice Ajileye said, “In this instant case, I found that the defendant matchetted the victim and degree of injury inflicted on her was capable of causing her death but for the intervening efforts of the passersby who saw her in the pool of blood.
“The defendant is hereby convicted as charged in line with Section 241 of the Criminal Laws of Ekiti State, he is accordingly sentenced to life imprisonment”.
Ekiti court hands down life sentence to 43-year-old man for attempted murder
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Kaduna ambush claims soldier’s life, stepmother abducted
Kaduna ambush claims soldier’s life, stepmother abducted
The community of Anguwan Rimi in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State has been shaken by tragedy as a soldier, Yahaya Ayuba (Zabuyia), was reportedly killed, and his stepmother abducted by gunmen.
Confirming the incident, a family member, Mr. Kantiok Solomon, revealed that the soldier had recently returned from Lagos and was engaged in a discussion with his family members at the palace when the assailants struck. Despite his resistance, the gunmen, noticing his uniform, fatally shot him.
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Angelo Tagwai, another resident, echoed Solomon’s sentiments, expressing the community’s shock and emphasizing the urgency for security forces to intervene and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice. This incident marks the third such violent occurrence in the area, heightening concerns among locals.
Efforts to obtain official comments from the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.
Kaduna ambush claims soldier’s life, stepmother abducted
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