Essential Ndubuisi
In his Easter message to Nigerians, Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has expressed his concerns over the frustration felt by Nigerians following the outcome of the 2023 election. Kukah urged Nigerians to rise and reclaim their country from the clutches of the current administration. He noted that justice had eluded Nigerians and this explained why they were currently forlorn, dejected, and unhappy.
Kukah commended President Muhammadu Buhari for recognizing that his criticisms of the current administration were not borne out of malice, but rather a desire to see Nigeria reach its full potential. He condemned the violence that trailed the elections, saying it could not be accepted as the new ladder to power.
Speaking to aggrieved Nigerians, Kukah asked them not to show their anger through violence but to transform it into a motivation to seek justice. He expressed hope that the next government would recognize that Nigeria’s most urgent task was not the mere construction of physical infrastructure, but rather the establishment of a strong foundation of social justice, equality, and respect for human rights.
Kukah emphasized the pressing need for the incoming President to address the core issues facing the nation, rather than focusing solely on infrastructure and empty political promises. He expressed his hopes that the next government would create a large tent of opportunity and hope for all Nigerians, of cutting off the chains of ethnicity and religious bigotry, and of exorcising the ghost of nepotism and religious bigotry.
