Genneral Buhari Meets 500 Pastors, Receives Bible Gift (See Photo)

APC Presidential candidate, Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari yesterday, for a second day running, pleaded with the Christian community to accept his candidacy, dismissing claims that he is a Muslim fanatic.

He pledged to protect all Nigerians if he wins the March 28 presidential poll. He spoke when he met the Northern Christians leaders Eagle-eyes Forum.

Buhari had on Wednesday met with the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and promised to protect Nigerians of all faith. Addressing the pastors who were 500 in number Buhari said he feels irritated by the toga of a religious bigot being cladded on him. 

He recalled that he had related well with his colleagues in the military when he was in service wondering how people came about the claim that he is fanatical about religion.

Buhari who was given a bible gift said, “I would like to solemnly declare that in spite of what our detractors say, I am not a religious fanatic of any sort and I have never been. In all my life, I have never supported extremism of any kind, and nowhere in my record of service to this nation can this false toga political opponents have tried so hard to put on me, be substantiated. Indeed, it is very unfortunate and I feel extremely sad that I have to give this type of assurance.

“My background is in the army, and there is no doubt that the military is the most integrated pan-Nigerian institution. And even today, the military is one of the institutions that represents the pride of our nation’s possibilities in unity.

“Compatriots from every corner of this country come together, work and live together, entrust their lives to each other and integrate their families. It is a military where many of my dearest friends from all faith and parts of the country, lost their lives defending the unity of our nation. That was the military I served in, and in that military it was impossible to be a bigot.”

In his short speech, APC vice presidential candidate, Prof Femi Osinbajo argued that the recourse to religion was PDP’s strategy to deceive the electorate. He insisted that the main issue should be how to address the poverty in the country.

Leader of the Forum, Pastor Aminchi Habu, said the forum since 2003, have been the pillars of propagating a lot of negative fabrication against Buhari and have help past administrations by doing a lot of things, saying what the country is passing through today make them to make a u-turn and support Buhari.“The forum have realized that there is something inside General Buhari, you know when your destiny is mean to shine some people would be pulling you down but what God said it shall be, it shall definitely be. Today in this country south, west, east, north by the grace of God with the support of everyone, we are calling the whole Christians to come en mass as we are declaring total support for General Buhari.

He said as a Christian, they know that they have offended General Buhari in the past and asked that he should forgive them for the wrong they made.