As reactions and counter-reactions continue to trail his
Christmas message, Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has
denied calling for a coup.
Bishop Kukah at a media conference with selected journalists
held at St Bakhita Secretariat in Sokoto on Monday night urged Nigerians to get
the accurate statement rather than relying on different lies being peddled
about in his name.
He emphasised that the message was based on his love for the
country and has no political or ulterior motive.
“I am pained and very sad that my emergency critics never
see that many innocent lives are being lost on a daily basis. The loss of lives
in the last ten years, even before the advent of this administration, calls for
concern.
“The reactions are a reflection of every citizen that make
up Nigeria. It is sad that when you drop something in Nigeria, everybody goes
back to their enclave and abandon the larger picture. I am someone who never
takes offense to what people say about me.
“What I said was my opinion based on evidence and what has
happened in Nigeria, and if you looked into the records, there is evidence that
justifies that statement, and if anyone thinks I am wrong, they should come out
with a superior position.
“It is unfair for a journalist or news medium to report that
I called for a coup while expressing my personal view about Nigeria,” he noted.
To those calling him to drop his priesthood cassock and join
the political fray, the outspoken cleric said if he was to join politics, it
would have been during the time of late Aminu Kano and not now.
“I have no plan and will never play partisan politics for
any reason. Those who link my message to partisan politics are only playing to
the gallery.
“Take, for instance, brilliant Nigerian youths making
comments about Chelsea or Arsenal and have never been to England, does that
make them players of such club sides?
“So, why will someone think because Bishop Kukah is speaking
therefore he is a politician? People who make this argument are totally
ignorant of elementary politics and ignorant of the role of a Priest.
“The truth is that a lot of us have not seen a priest saying
what I am saying. The truth of the matter is, we are all in politics, but party
politics for me, no. I am not a member of any political party and I cannot be.
If it comes to voting, I do my right.
“Whatever I said can please or displease anyone, but that is
my own opinion and doesn’t stop others from saying their own opinion. If you
think my motive is wrong, say yours.
“I have no problem with Muslims, Christians, or any other
religion but what I don’t like is when someone is using a religious issue to
play politics, it is wrong.”
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