The Northern Elders have distanced themselves from controversial Muslim cleric Ahmed Gumi following his comments attacking President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. The elders, in a statement released in Abuja, condemned Gumi’s remarks as divisive and detrimental to national unity.
The spokesman of the North-East Consolidated Peoples Forum (NCPF), Alhaji Abba Liman, quoted the elders, stating that Gumi’s attacks were unprovoked, malicious, inciting, and a deliberate misinterpretation of history. They condemned religious and ethnic incitement by misguided elements and their sponsors, emphasizing that such actions did not represent the collective view and interest of the North or Nigeria.
Gumi had criticized Wike for meeting the Israeli ambassador and condemned President Tinubu for appointing Wike as the FCT Minister. Gumi even threatened Tinubu saying that he would not get eight years which means a second term. He also alleged that Christian soldiers had killed northern political leaders in the past.
The Northern Elders vehemently disagreed with Gumi’s divisive statements, denouncing them as toxic and unfit for anyone who values peace and national unity.
They emphasized the importance of consolidating peace, unity, and progress in Nigeria and cautioned against religious fundamentalism and ethnic division. The elders expressed support for President Tinubu, Chief Nyesom Wike, and the Nigerian Constitution for a better governance system in the country.