What will make Buhari succeed — Maitama Sule
Sir, how do you see the just concluded election?
I am very happy at this moment and I am grateful to the almighty God who has made it possible for us to conduct our election peacefully and also to live in peace afterwards.
I am glad that what I have been praying for has been realised. I have been praying for good leaders and I have seen good leaders around now. I have seen a good leader in the President-Elect.
We have had elections in Nigeria but this is the first time that an incumbent will be congratulating his opponent who defeated him. With this act, Jonathan is not a politician, he is a statesman. A politician thinks of election but a statesman thinks of the nation.
Jonathan thinks of the nation and he is thinking ahead. He wants Nigeria to realise its potential of greatness and that is why he has behaved this way. I certainly congratulated him. And he will go down in the history as one of the greatest Presidents of Nigeria who laid the foundation for real democracy in the country.
I also congratulate Nigerians for this hotly contested election but in spite of the tension, Nigerians came out and cast their votes peacefully. With this we have become one great united country where all of us will be our brothers’ keepers, where we will join hands and build our strong economy that will make us realise what we are destined to do; to lead Africa; to inspire the blacks, world over. What president has done has clearly convinced me that we are on our way of taking our place in the comity of Nations.
What are the things that you are expecting from the President-Elect?
First, I want him to do justice to all and sundry and let him regard the entire country as his constituency. You see, justice is the most important thing of any government, for the world can never be governed by force, never by fear, even by power.
In the end what governs is the mind; what conquer it is the spirit and the weapon of governing the mind and conquering the spirit are justice and fair play. Behind every crisis not only in Nigeria but also anywhere in the world is injustice. Power can remain in the hand of infidel if he is just and fair, but it will not remain in the hand of a believer if he is unfair and unjust.
So I hope the president-elect will do justice to all and sundry. And according to our teaching - no religion of God, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and so on justice should be done to all who deserves it irrespective of their religions, their tribes, race or their political inclination.
Justice is what brings about peace and stability. If people feel they can get justice from their rulers or leaders they will cooperate. There will be peace, stability which are the prerequisite for development. So with justice you will have peace and development, people will be empowered.
You know it is not for nothing that God brought us together from different tribes; different religions and even from different climatic conditions, God has a purpose for this union.
He wants us to come together to understand one another; to live in peace with one another because of the task that he has destined for us, the task of leading Africa, the task of leading the black race all over the world.
It is only when we are united and we live in peace and respect one another and respect one another’s culture, religion; it is only then that we will be able to discharge this responsibility that Allah has put on our shoulders. Nigeria is a great nation with potentials, Nigerians need to work hard in order to realise the great potential of this country. With the attitude of the president-elect, I think we are now on the way to realising our dream.