By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja
An Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has congratulated the winners of the presidential election primaries in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
MURIC’s congratulatory message was contained in a press release issued by the director of the organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Wednesday.
The right group reminded both Atiku and Tinubu on the pertinent need to pursue the coming presidential election in 2023 with a spirit of sportsmanship, fairness and tolerance.
MURIC further urged the two candidates to allow the true teachings of Islam on peacefulness, truthfulness and honesty to guide their footsteps by eschewing thuggery, hooliganism, ballot-snatching and election rigging.
According to the statement by MURIC,
“The results of the 2023 presidential election primaries of the two major political parties have shown that two giant political figures have emerged winners.
“They are Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We are particularly impressed by the brilliant, excellent and wonderful performance of the duo during the exercises.
“For instance, the APC flagbearer, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, mesmerized other aspirants by scoring a whopping 1,271 votes as against his closest rival in the South West, Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who scored 235.
“MURIC congratulates Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We commend them for their reticence, dilligence and determination. However, we charge them to be magnanimous in victory, humble in triumph and accomodating in their hours of greatness. Finally, we charge them to work towards uniting the country.
“We remind both Atiku and Tinubu that as Muslims, both of them must pursue the coming presidential election in 2023 with a spirit of sportsmanship, fairness and tolerance.
“We urge them to allow the true teachings of Islam on peacefulness, truthfulness and honesty to guide their footsteps by eschewing thuggery, hooliganism, ballot-snatching and election rigging.
“Although the PDP did not abide by the principle of rotation, we give kudos to Northern politicians in the APC whose leaders unanimously stood by the unwritten principle of rotation thereby making it possible for a South Western candidate to emerge”, he said.
The statement added, “It will be recalled that MURIC had been calling for a Yoruba Muslim president for the past three years. It was this show of solidarity from the North and their readiness to identify with our call that made our dream a fait accompli.
“We therefore see freedom in the horizon for the Muslims of Yorubaland who have for long been oppressed, downpressed and repressed”, it said
It added, “Finally, we doff our hats for President Muhammadu Buhari for resisting temptations to go autocratic in the matter of his party’s presidential primaries.
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