The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has charged Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC) ahead of the 2019 election.
The Director of the organisation, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, made this known in a statement he signed yesterday, urging Imams in all parts of the country to make PVC registration for the 2019 elections the core of their sermons every Friday beginning from tomorrow.
According to MURIC, โYour vote is your power. You must make it count. But you will have no opportunity to vote if you fail to register.
โThe deadline announced by INEC is 17th August, 2018. We are therefore urging you to go out and register for this coming 2019 election before the ultimatum expires. Do it with determination. You may encounter difficulties and inconveniences. Be patient until you are able to register because it is an assignment and a sacrifice for the comfort of the next five yearsโ.
The organisation cautioned Muslim parents not to allow their children and wards to be used as political thugs.
โRemember that the children of most politicians are in foreign lands relishing the stupendous wealth stolen by their parents. It is therefore not worth sacrificing the children of the hoi polloi. Besides this, you must note that Nigerian politicians are not worth dying for. The only thing worth dying for is the Nigerian project, not partisanship, not exclusive religiosity and definitely not tribal jingoism,โ the group warned.
MURIC also advised Muslim voters not to sell their voters’ cards and to cast their votes only for candidates of their choices.
In another development, the group has cried out to immigration authorities and the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency stop crusaders from taking over the premises of the Nigerian Immigration at Ikoyi, Lagos State.
According to MURIC, some religious zealots now compel staff and applicants to join them in morning devotions, a development the group claimed may lead to religious crisis.
In a recent statement signed by its Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, MURIC complained that its headquarters had been inundated with reports that Nigerians who visit the immigration office in Ikoyi, Lagos early in the morning are being made to partake in Christian prayers and evangelical devotion without any regard for their religious leaning.
According to Akintola, โThe Ikoyi office of immigrations has been taken over by Christian fanatics who force everyone who arrives early to join in Christian prayers. They insist that there must be morning devotion before starting work every morning. The fact that they have Muslims among their staff and applicants means nothing to them. They invoke spirits and imaginary angels. They shout and scream at the top of their voices. It is madness in official quarters.
