President of Nasrul-Lahi-il-Fatih Society (NASFAT), Alhaji Kamil Bolarinwa, has urged candidates standing for various elective positions in the country to accept the outcomes of the elections, saying that power comes from God.
Alhaji Bolarinwa stated this during a special prayer organised by the group for hitch-free and peaceful general elections.
The event which was held at the NASFAT Islamic Centre, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, attracted over 40 missionaries and thousands of members from all branches in Lagos and Ogun states.
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The prayer tagged “Oh Allah Let This Election Bring Peace and Progress in Nigeria” was held in two sessions, led by Ustaz Tirimizhi Olawale and the Chief Missioner, Sheikh Maroof Abdul-Azeez Onike.
“The motive behind this prayer is to supplicate to Almighty Allah for peaceful elections. It is also meant to counsel the electorate to exercise their civic responsibility by going out to cast their votes peacefully.
“It is also meant to tell all the contestants and politicians that power only comes from God and that you can only win an election if it pleases Allah.
“No matter what you deployed to win the election, if it does not please Allah to emerge as the winner, then you can never win the election. The spiritual connotation is that it is not by the number of people you win election, it is basically the pleasure of Allah. So, those who are contesting and those who are voting should look for peace.
“We are praying for Nigeria and, insha Allah, we will have peaceful general elections in every local government, in every state and in the country generally,” Alhaji Bolarinwa told journalists.
He advised the candidates to accept the outcomes of the elections, adding that “if anyone, however, feels aggrieved, he should go through the process allowed in law and not to resort to violence. Be magnanimous to accept the judgment and move on. That is what is done in all civilized places. Of course there will be another day. It pleases Allah when He gives positions and it pleases Him when He takes positions,” he said.
In the same vein, women affairs secretary of the group, Alhaja Samiat Mumuni, said NASFAT was interested in peaceful and credible elections.
“We want peace in every corner of the the country, we don’t want do-or-die-affair politics. We don’t want anyone to die,” she said.
She advised mothers to ensure that their children and wards are not used as thugs during the exercise.
“We have the responsibility to ensure that our children and wards are not used as thugs. We should monitor their movements during the day and in the night. If our children are not involved in violence, we will have peaceful elections. Peace is very important in our immediate communities and the society at large.
“We don’t want anyone to die because of election. Experiences in the past have shown that we need to be prayerful, while we should also exercise caution and restraint during and after the elections,” Alhaja Mumuni added..
Also, the education secretary of the group, Dr Rahmat Adisa, cautioned against apathy, advising parents to vote wisely as only credible candidates would work to secure the future of their children.
The National Treasury Secretary, Alhaja Qudrat Lawal, also cautioned candidates and party leaders not to do anything that would jeopardise peace in the country, urging Nigerians to continue to pray for the emergence of credible leaders at all levels of the elections.
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