A Kaduna-based renowned Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmed Gumi, has called on a former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, not to contest the 2015 presidential election.
The cleric rather suggested that Mr. Buhari should back a younger person to run for the position.
In an open letter to the former head of state, posted on his Facebook page, Mr. Gumi argued that age is not on the side of the retired general and that politicians were only using him to get to power because of his popularity among the masses.
He also said a Buhari presidency would further polarise the country and worsen the security challenges the country is grappling with.
“My brother in Islam, please listen to the words of wisdom,” Mr. Gumi said. “And don’t follow the whims of the riffraff Before they used you the first time to disrupt the second republic, my father advised you against it. Today I am also advising you against contesting in the 2015 presidential election because you will be used to ignite the nation -a dream well orchestered several years ago- and also be used by bad people as a ladder to grab regional and local powers.”
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“I have to write him (Mr. Buhari) that letter because we don’t want crisis in Nigeria,” he said.
Mr. Buhari last week formally declared his intention to seek the APC presidential ticket at a well-attended rally in Abuja. The following day, he obtained the party’s nomination forms.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is also seeking the same ticket just as Kano state Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Below is Mr. Gumi’s full message to Mr. Buhari.
Assalamu AlaikumThe Humble People’s General.
I know I have access to you privately but this is meant for others to learn also.The Prophet -peace be upon him- told one of the most honest and truthful of his companions, Abu Zar Algafary: “Oh Abu Zar, I truly love for you what I love for myself. I indeed see that you are weak so never accept to lead even two people and never accept safekeeping of the orphans wealth.”
An honest and candid advice from the prophet that is still valid today for any leader whose weakness borders on leadership qualities.
The reason for Abu Zar’s weakness has nothing to do with his credibility or truthfulness. Never! The prophet was narrated as saying: “there is nobody under the shadows of trees or bare sun that is more honest in speech than Abu Zar”.Abu Zar – May Allah be pleased with him- is ascetic and inmaterialistic. Abu Zar is incorruptible. And yet he is not suitable for leadership.
I am not claiming to be even by an atom’s weight anything close to our noble prophet, yet I am encouraged to give you these same advice by the virtue that you are not also close to Abu Zar in piety. We are living in a time of great tribulations and fitnah especially for this Ummah because of our collective iniquities, ignorance of religious instructions and the love of Dunyah.
Sir, your weakness is not in your past impeccable record of accountability of public wealth and the fight against corruption and indiscipline. Your weakness is in your inability to control men compounded further by your strict and obsessive rejection of corruption.
Don’t be surprised. You may need to understand that Islam being a pragmatic religion allows the use of Zakkat and public wealth as an instrument to pacify and lure influential people for the sake of righteousness, peace and stability. In modern governance today it translate to security vote.Thus men are also controlled by money. So if your policy of governance is obsessibly centered on sealing tight the use of money, you will have great problem with men. An Arab poet said: “A fool cannot be the leader of his people but the true leader of the people must feign foolishness”.
It’s convenient for your ardent supporters to quote copiously from the annals of history your great achievements but when your failures and weaknesses were pointed out they say that was in the past. Is the lessons of past history only good for the positive achievements? Doesn’t that also explains our incessant failures?Your Excellency, good intentions are never enough. In the past, because of your clean records and straightforwardness you were lured by men who want only the vanities Dunya to uproot a young democracy on the caprices of fighting corruption. Corruption is no doubt an evil but there is a more monstrous evil than corruption. That is turmoil and insecurity. Peace and stability are the most important part of governance that no price is to high for them.
The lack of peace, stability and security is the major predicament of this nation since independence. So when you were naively used by men to derail one, that is the greatest disservice you committed to the nation the ills of which we are yet to recover from.Do you truly believe Allah is still not in cognizance of that? You were led to uproot a duly elected leader and incarcerate him for close to two years knowing fully well that he has no charge of even the corruption that was labeled against him. Yes, Shagari was the leader and therefore he bears all the responsibility of misdeeds in his government, so also you were a leader and you should bear all the responsibility of derailing the peace and stability of governance in this country as a consequence of that putsch.
Your weakness in control of men became evident when the very people that used you to revolt against a constituted authority came back to uproot you from the seat of power. Your own kinsmen. Without a gun cocked in your defence.
Today the corruption you were deceived to fight against has reached unimaginable level coupled with the worst state of insecurity and peace in the nation. There was just recently an attempt on your life like many of us.All this because you the honest people that are given the privilege of strengthening the Armed forces left it to meddle in politics. We thus lost everything. Neither the power nor the security.
A believer is not stung from the same hole twice. Men used your innocence before to get power and dump you. Please be sensible today. Some other men still want to use you to get power and surely they will dump you again. You don’t share the same philosophy at all. Even though as I explained later, your obsession and philosophy of fighting corruption is not the priority of Nigeria today. What Nigeria needs utmost now is peace and stability? This can only be achieved when the religious ethnic and regional divide is tamed. And you can only tame it with people without much precedence. People without much following. Yet people that are constructive and have the ability to control men.
If Sardauna today is alive in your situation he will never contest for the presidential seat because of his deep understanding of what the nation needs. He will step down for a more acceptable younger person. It’s on record that Sardauna even at the age of under 60 said he was not going to contest again, preparing his only house in Rabah for retirement.
I’ll give you a similitude to buttress my point of priority. A person seriously injured and fractured from a road traffic accident when brought to the emergency room, the first priority of the doctors is to secure an intravenous line. Meaning get a drip set working into his veins to protect his vital organs like the heart and kidneys from the effects of shock and loss of blood. The fractures, even though serious and the source of the blood loss, may take days and weeks before they are even attended to beside the superficial dressings.
Nigeria now needs peace and stability first. Then we talk of good governance later even though it’s the source of the predicament we are facing.The present government has already charged the situation and played the religious divide to its advantage. It’s in circulation now, a SW pastor calling on Christians and the church to vote Jonathan as their only Saviour. This religious card will be used to cover his deficiency in governance.Your Excellency, you should understand too, that many, if not most of your supporters, are also looking up to you to protect them from the onslaught on their religion and region. This also the Christian will never believe the otherwise.Therefore the stage is set for religious confrontation which is the least the nation needs.
What we need as a priority is peace and stability.From my view, if APC can support as an example Ameachi or Okorocha/Kwankwaso or El-Rufai or Tambuwwal ticket and the PDP will have Akpabio/Muazu or Ribadu or Shekaru, the next four years will. – insha Allah – witness stability both in the north and south. And the electoral body will get the necessary infrastructure that subsequently the next election will be free and fair and the true reflection of Nigerians.If you may ask, why can’t this same peace be achieved with you and another Christian running mate?
Gen. you have antagonist, and they are many and also as ardent as your supporters. Your supporters have the biggest proportion of the underprivileged of the society which is the petrol that can be easily ignited by the slightest spark. The spark will be when you’re declared the loser. And you know you can very well lose if the Christians follow their church -and why not in this era of mediocrity.
On the other hand if Jonathan comes back. BH will be real not the political one we see. The turmoil will engulf the whole country not only the north. That is why I also call on PDP to present some other candidates.
My brother in Islam, please listen to the words of wisdom. And don’t follow the whims of the riffraff. Before they used you the first time to disrupt the second republic, my father advised you against it. Today I am also advising you against contesting in the 2015 presidential election because you will be used to ignite the nation -a dream well orchestered several years ago- and also be used by bad people as a ladder to grab regional and local powers.
I rest my case here.My best regards and condolence for your recent loss.May Allah guide you and protect you from the evil men and the jinn. Amin.
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This is the wisest piece of advice I have ever heard from Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteGood advice because Buhari will surely loose the election.A word is enough for a wise.
ReplyDeleteThough am not a moslem but this man is a sage!
ReplyDeleteGreat!! I concur. I hope this men will reason along with you.
ReplyDeleteMark.
Cheap popularity
ReplyDeletehope he listen......
ReplyDeleteI said it that they should leave the Government to the younger ones
ReplyDeleteOh shiek Gumi may you live long. I am most humbled by your dissection of truth. This is how I expect our clergy to speak. I pray Buhari and all contestants should listen.
ReplyDeleteTo him who ears, let him hear
ReplyDeleteI see buhari overreacting to this advise. He may even arrange for the death of this' man. I thank this moslem cleric for his concise advise. Buhari will Likely scream: errant nonsense. But this piece will be in the library of all of us
ReplyDeleteSage. A piece word of advice "my father advised you
ReplyDeleteagainst it. Today I am also advising you against contesting in the 2015
presidential election because you will
be used to ignite the nation". The Gen your antecedent is not against but for the good of Nigeria and betterment of democracy.
Mr.. Gumi is a true Muslim endow with God's wisdom -only if Buhari will listen cos he feels all those people surrounding him like him not knowing they are all betrayers and Gold diggers. Buhari if u refuse to hid the call , u will fail 2015 and will collapse finally in health for peace to reign in Nigeria.-Watch out.
ReplyDeleteGreat wisdom displayed!
ReplyDeleteWhat we need as a priority is peace and stability.From my view, if APC can support as an example Ameachi or Okorocha/Kwankwaso or El-Rufai or Tambuwwal ticket and the PDP will have Akpabio/Muazu or Ribadu or Shekaru, the next four years will. – insha Allah – witness stability both in the north and south
ReplyDeleteSheik have said it all, buhari should listen to these piece of advice.
ReplyDeleteastute sage of our time, i am reading this from a clergy man more importantly a northern Muslim. God bless you, One Nigeria! One nation! One People!
ReplyDeleteMy big worried about the malam's letter is that, upon all his presumed devilish things that may happen to Nigeria if Buhari contest he never care to pray for Allah's intervention. this is very bad for
ReplyDeleteYou think everything is all about prayers? Sorry for you!
DeleteHonetly if i have never respected any Muslim in my entire life, this is one person i respect for saying the truth, you know truth is bitter, how i wish Buhari will have a listen ears, I'm also afriad for Buhari because he may not win the election, let him not waste his money, God has honour him before in this country and let him maintain it, people were arguing this morning inside bus concerning who will win election or not majority were against him for one reason or the other and as for me you have give him the best advice which anybody else can give him. God bless you sir for saying the truth and God bless Nigeria too.
ReplyDeleteThe written of shiek Gumi, no doubt comes from a very clean mind, but with all sense of responsibility, and as I deduced from his admonition, I have no doubt in my mind that the right time for the general to contest is now. Here are my reasons, Shiek Gumi, assume, Christian will vote for President Jonathan and not General Buhari because he is a Christian and Muslim will vote for General Buhari and not President Jonathan because he is a Muslim, on paper this might sound like indisputable facts, but in reality, this is far from reality. The respected Cleric equally assumed that the whole north and south region would rather vote for only candidate from their region, that also in not correct. As specifically mentioned by the Man of God, the problem we have is rooted in corruption while other problems emanated from it, then it is more reasonable then to tackle the issue from its source, at this time, what we need is someone who is an apostle of indiscipline in word and in deed, someone who is not coming to office to learn how to govern, someone who is has no one to fear but God and the masses, someone whose interest in not expand his or her wealth, someone who has no Godfather but father to all, someone who is knows what to do from day one in office.
ReplyDeleteGen Buhari is truly of age, but he is still agile and strong, his memory is still at alert, the last time the late Sage, Obafemi Awolowo presented himself for an election in 1983 he was 74 years of age, so I don't see his age as a big challenge for him in the next four years. I expect him to (God willing) serve only one term of four years when a younger man like Tambuwwal would have gather necessary executive experience and subsequently take over from him.
Shiek Gumi equally postulated that if Buhari is declared as a loser in the forth coming election, that his supporters might take law into their hands, this could be true if the popular wish of the people upturned, but if he lost the election naturally, no one will make any trouble, same goes to Jonathan.
GEJ too should listen and abide by the advice. The advice is for both Buhari and GEJ.
ReplyDeleteI never believe this level of wisdom can come out of the mouth of a Islamic Cleric and publicly too. Shaikh Gumi is has changed my perception.
ReplyDeleteHe is even wiser, courageous and much more discerning than some so called pastor and/or G.O or even so called traditional ruler or elders of the nation. Men whose belly is their god, men who will sell not only their conscience, but their mothers if it were possible to do so. Men (on all sides of religious, social or geopolitical divide), who the sake of money and what to eat have sent the nation into an abyss we are in today.
Sheikh Gumi has contributed his quota, but a tree does not make a forest. There are countless opinion leaders, who are hedging the nation in opposite direction, simply for a pot of porridge.
So I don't expect the General to listen, nor do I expect the political actors to be sensitive to the need of the nation. By their very nature, they are selfish men, overpowered by greed and incapable of being sensitive to others. At least the Sheikh has said his piece, and he is free of the blood of the innocent.
Sheik Ahmed Gumi, great cleric of our time, thank you for sharing your inspiring words of candor and wisdom with us. I pray that other men of God (all religious divide) and Academy will follow in your enlightening footsteps by allowing God and wisdom to guide their words and action as you have shown. I especially like the part about ...."the us of Zakkat and public wealth as an instrument to pacify and lure influential people for the sake of righteousness, peace and stability..." which only a sage as yourself could succinctly encapsulate with so much meaning. It reminds me of the words of our Lord Jesus Christ ..."give unto Caesar what is Caesars..." I pray that we are all guided by wisdom as you are in the pursuit of our collective good!
ReplyDeleteAssuming buhari wins and becomes the president, I have been wondering how a supposed incorruptible person like him will work with most of the people in APC that have corruption as their middle name. This means there will surely be crises or the same APC people will work against him winning the primary or the general election.
ReplyDeleteMy thought too
DeleteOne of the reasons why I've had difficulty in believing APCs intention to combat corruption is,a glance at their members,both old recently inducted ones from other parties gets you worried,considering their records,documented & undocumented as related to corrupt practices. I keep wondering how Buhari was going to fight corruption,when almost all his conhorts are neck deep into corruption.
DeleteIn fact Sheikh Gumi is good. Though I am a Christian from south but I believe in truth. Buhari and GEJ should listen to him and hand over to neutral people for peace to reign. Any younger, neutral and good person from north or south may bring a lasting peace. Either Tambuwal or Kwankwaso or Amechi or Okorocha or Fashola or Akpabio will be better than GEJ and Buhari who are dividing Nigeria ethnically and religiously.
ReplyDeleteGumi is right, but he should please leave out Kwakwanso, Okorocha and Amaechi from his recommendations. How also does Buhari stop corruption? Ban the Senate and House of Reps.?
ReplyDeleteSheikh Gumi has nothing to fear as I am certain the politicians in APC will not even field him as the Presidential candidate as it would be suicidal for them. Siddon look!
ReplyDeleteSheikh Gumi has nothing to fear as I am certain the politicians in APC will not even field him as the Presidential candidate as it would be suicidal for them. Siddon look!
ReplyDelete@Fredrick Bola Fisayo:
ReplyDeleteU lack wisdom in its totality in the sense that u didn't even understand what the Sheik is saying. There must be enabling environment for u to fight corruption, waging full time war on corruption will increase insecurity in the country cos even Buhari's hands are not clean, remember he was one time PTF chairman under a highly corrupt leader which he has refused to admit that that leader was corrupt. Buhari committed treason by overthrowing a democratically elected govt, if all time war should be waged on corrupt, Buhari also will go down.
Dr. Gumi you behave just like Abdullahi bin Ubaid bin Salun of the time of prophet of Allah Muhammad (pbuh). The story of this man is too long to be place in this small space, his story is in full memory of muslims.
ReplyDeleteTo start the same way you wrote your letter by quoting a Hadith of prophet (pbuh). Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, ' If you will not Speak good keep your mouth shurt', (Buhari/ muslim.)
Your letter in no small measure speak very bad about the expected hope and relief in the minds of millions Nigerians both Muslims and christians should Buhari wins election in 2015.
Your presumed crisis after the election in 2015 sounds similar manner of speech related to Abdullahi bin Ubaid bin salun throwned to the minds of followers of prophet (pbuh) to discourage them from partaking in a battle against insurgency, injustice, corruption, freedom, peace and security during the life of prophet (pbuh).
Never in the mind of every good meaning Nigerian, pray for bad end of this strogle but your letter had clearly prepeare the minds of Nigerians of the crisis ahead especially if Buhari wins. May Allah forbid.
This is a very bad assumption, we pray may Allah (sw) keep this country in peace, give us a good leader that will have the fear Allah in mind.
Long life in peace Nigeria