2007 Elections In Nigeria: What Are The Roles Of Muslims?

In the name of Allah, The Gracious, The Merciful.
All thanks and adorations are due to Almighty Allah (SWT), the Creator of all creatures. May His peace and blessing be upon the soul of Noble Prophet Muhammad (SAW) for showing us the path of monotheism (AL-ISLAM).
 
We, members of Jama’atu Ta’awunil Muslimeen, hereby express our feelings on the irreparable loss of Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Maccido and other well- meaning Nigerians and non- Nigerians in the ADC plane crash which occurred on Sunday, 29th October, 2006. We pray Allah, the Most High, to count the deceased among the dwellers of paradise. And we sympathetically commensurate with the families of the deceased, praying Allah (SWT) to give them fortitude to bear the monumental tragedy.    At the same time, we congratulate those who were miraculously saved by Allah’s superlative mercy in the plane crash, wishing them long life and prosperity.     
However, the plane crash, being fourth of its unfortunate kind in Nigeria in less than one year, we implore the Nigerian Government to set up an investigatory panel which should be faithful in operation and capable to find lasting solution against its future occurrence. As our aviation industry is now a death trap to many Nigerians, so also our bad roads which have recorded numerous fatal accidents with many casualties. Evidently, the Nigeria Road Safety Commission reportedly said it used to record 100 accidents daily with two-third classified fatal. Why this when government is there to take up the responsibilities?
       Furthermore, in the on going voters’ registration exercise, we enjoin the Muslims throughout Nigeria to participate en masse because having voters’ registration cards only, would legalize every Muslim to exercise his civil right during the 2007 election. Also, we would not hesitate to inform the Government that voters’ registration materials distributed to each town in Nigeria are drastically insufficient. Even to our dismay, and in contrary to the past voters’ registration exercises, only two or in some cases three registration zones are allocated to each Local Government Area. If, however, those in government do not have any hidden agenda on this, they should be convinced that the assigned registration zones in each local government are not enough as compared to the population of people therein.  For instance, it is amazing that Iwo Township that needs about thirty-six computers for one hundred and forty-four polling boots could only get two systems in two different zones. How possible will the exercise be successful?
 
Meanwhile, it is our belief and suggestion that making sufficient provision of computers and other materials available, by the government, would facilitate a successful staging of the exercise. 
 
Furthermore, we play our pre-election role by imploring the INEC officials to give special consideration to the veiled women in the on-going voters’ registration exercise. It is anti-Islamic ethics for Quranic unapproved males, either Muslims or not, to see their faces and it must be emphasized that they must exercise their constitutional right as bonafide Nigerian citizens. Meanwhile, appointing female INEC officials to attend to the veiled women throughout Nigeria would be very appreciative and commendable.
 
In the arena of Muslim roles in politics, the Muslim must understand that Islam does not ignore politics. Rather, politics is part of Islam. But what Islam diametrically opposes is when injustice, corruption, unaccountability, hooliganism and Godlessness are brought into political administration. Moreso, while enjoining all Muslims to grossly and faithfully vote for their rightful, tested and trusted religious aspirants in 2007 election, we wish the Government and voters to maintain free and fair election that would be void of rigging, double-voting, blood-shed and other manipulations. By doing so, tested and trusted aspirants would emerge as administrators from the federal down to the local government levels. No Muslim should involve himself in money politics. The practice is not only disgraceful, backsliding and stigmatizing but egregiously sinful before Allah (SWT).
 
Muslims should not oppress and should not as well allow oppression, so taught by the Prophet. Enough of marginalization over Muslims in all arms of government! As the present administration is moving to an end and we are about to vote the people of our choice to various political posts come 2007. We will see it mandatory on every Muslim to vote for righteous people who will not make us suffer again, what we had, in the past.
 
In sanitizing our nation from financial crimes, we support the action of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC). But the commission must not allow any influential personality to use it against others, based on inter-personal controversy and not to let people be seeing it as a hunting dog for political opponents or personalities. Again, this commission should fear God by not involving in selective judgment which is repugnant to justice and poisonous to the spirit of democracy. Otherwise, the Commission should be dissolved and restructured with human right activists or other impartial people of integrity.
 
To crown it all, the motion for privatization of Unity schools needs to be reconsidered. It is absolutely unfavorable to under-privileged masses. Therefore, reinstating the unity schools under Nigerian government authority is what we support to the core rather than privatizing it, as almost government subsidized companies , (i.e. NEPA now Power Holding Company) have turned to private-owned companies in detriment of less-privileged masses.
 
To this end, highlighted above are messages that depict our motive vividly as an organization that wishes for the nation CHANGES AND REFORMATIONS IN ALL ARMS OF GOVERNMENT. These are also challenges to all Muslims of the Nation, which could only be faced and conquered by faith in Allah only. Don’t let your political interest subdue your Islamic right which is the ultimate in the sight of Allah (swt).
 
Thanks for listening.
JAZAAKUM LAHU KHAYRAN