By Ibekimi Oriamaja
Kashim Shettima, the vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, promised on Sunday that if his party wins the presidential election in 2023, he will defend Islam and other faiths.
The former governor of Borno State made this claim in response to an online post in which he stated that if elected vice president, he will not support Islam.
He also stated that Islam taught him to be fair to all people, including those of other faiths, and that he would continue to do so whether he was in government or not.
Shettima announced the news on his Facebook page.
“I have received numerous messages on social media stating that if I am elected vice president of Nigeria, I will not support Islam,” he wrote.
“It appears that the person who wrote that post had malicious intent or a misunderstanding of the English language, as well as the context of my statement.”
“As religious scholars are aware, what I said in an interview is similar to Islam’s leadership position.” Even in the Islamic system, the leader is expected to be fair to all while not causing harm to anyone.
“Jews and victory have coexisted peacefully under Muslim rule since the time of Prophet Muhammad” (SAW). This is what Islam instilled in us.
“As a Muslim, whether I am in government or not, I will never accept anything that will harm my religion.”
“And if I am elected, I must protect the dignity of all citizens and ensure that no citizen is treated unfairly or harmed.” As a result, I will not relish oppressing my own or another’s religion. This is religious teaching, and this is my position.
