I Won't Impose Sharia on Nigerians - Buhari

All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) presidential candidate, Major-General Muham-madu Buhari (rtd), has said that he would, if voted into power, abide by the provisions of the Nigerian constitution, which says no Nigerian has the right to impose his own religion on other Nigerians.

Buhari was fielding questions from newsmen yesterday in Benin, where he paid courtesy calls on the Benin Monarch, Omo N'Oba Erediauwa, and the Chairman, Board of Trustees of ANPP, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu (rtd), on his way to Kogi State.

He also visited the Otaru of Auchi and the Onogie of Irua.

The ANPP flagbearer stressed that corruption was at the root of most problems in the country, including youth unemployment and insecurity, and maintained that an ANPP government, under him would tackle the problem head-long.

Buhari, who was accompanied by top notchers of the party, including Edo State governorship candidate, Senator Rowland Owie, senatorial candidate for Edo Central District, Engr. Clifford Ordia, the Edo South candidate, Col. Paul Ogbebor, as well as state chairman, Mr. Pius Iyamah, and former Edo State Governor John Odigie-Oyegun, said he did not see why he should apologise to Nigerian media practitioners over the much-criticised Decree Number 4, introduced when he was military head of state.

He emphasised that he had never, even as military head of state, pursued a Northern Nigeria or Arewa agenda, stressing that he strongly believed in the supremacy of the constitution and would, therefore, conduct himself within its ambit.

Said Buhari: "the constitution allows people to practice any religion of their choice. If the constitution has guaranteed every citizen the freedom to practice his or her religion, then nobody has the right to act outside the provisions of the constitution.

"The constitution recognises the Sharia legal system (but) the constitution says you must not impose your religion on other people."

He explained that "nobody was taken before a Sharia Court" nor a sharia judge appointed into the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, when he was military head of state.

He added that nobody was really opposed to the existence of the Sharia legal system in Nigeria except that some human rights activists had kicked against the cutting of limbs as a form of punishment for certain convicts.

On the tendency for the rather untidy language being employed by his campaign organisation and the President Olusegun Obasanjo campaign group to further heat up the prevailing charged political atmosphere.

Buhari said that it was impossible for him to personally scrutinise all that goes out from his group. He noted that he had, however, maintained that he wanted to campaign only on issues.

He promised to revamp collapsed industrial sector, manage the resources of Nigeria well so as to reduce insecurity levels as well as "do something definite about corruption."