By Olufemilade Oyinade
Muslim women in Nigeria, under the aegis of Coalition of Muslim Women for Asiwaju (COMWA), have said that they would not stop seeking spiritual support for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) until he emerged as the president of Nigeria in the 2023 election.
The group which made the pledge at the special prayer held in Badagry and Epe divisions of Lagos state, respectively, disclosed that members, numbering over 16 million have agreed to cast their votes for the party.
The group’s National President, Rasheedah Adebari explained that they deemed it necessary to hold the special prayer for Tinubu, citing the proximity of the commencement of the election activities while noting that effort was not enough without spiritual backing.
She said Tinubu’s huge contribution to national development has made their members with Permanent Voter Card (PVC) resolved to vote for the APC Presidential candidate.
Adebari, in her reaction to the same faith ticket generating heated debate, advised those against it to embrace the emergence of the party’s Vice Presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima as God’s will.
“When did religion become important for a candidate to emerge or win an election? We don’t think it is. What we understand is that anybody who wants to emerge as a winner in any election must go through votes. It will be unwise for him to pick an unpopular or unelectable running mate in the name of religion that cannot guarantee votes”. She explained.
She added that religion should not be used as a basis for supporting him, saying that someone who raised the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Lagos to over 50 billion naira would do well if given a bigger opportunity.
In her welcome address, the coordinator of COMWA in Epe, Mujidah Abdulganiyy-Alli, said it was high time Muslim women, most especially, hijab sisters, got themselves involved in politics. “COMWA as an organization of Muslim women is aimed at sensitising and mobilising hijab sisters who are skilled in politics at the grassroots levels.
“We also want to use this medium to invite other hijab sisters into politics; to tell them that wearing of hijab does not hinder them from advocating for good governance in the country,” she noted.
DAILY DIGEST 