'Stop Using Religion to Mislead Nigerians' - Comrade Abdullahi Koli to Politicians

COMRADE ABDULLAHI KOLI
Vice Presidential Candidate of APGA

Comrade Abdullahi Muhammad Koli, was once the state chairman of the Nigeria Labor Congress NLC. A bonafide Indigene of Bauchi State born in the year 1956, he is famous for his objective analysis on matters that affect public interest with the view to ensuring equity and balance between the government and the governed.

Recently, Comrade Abdullahi Muhammad Koli was picked by Professor Peter Omeadi, the presidential candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA to be his running mate.

In this interview with M News, Comrade Koli emphasizes the need for politicians to stop using religion to mislead Nigerians. 

M News: You were chosen to be the running mate for the Presidential Candidate of APGA, how did it come to you?

Comrade Koli: You know, it just came to me as a surprise, simply because we were working with the people and people understand us. We tried to give our contribution to the nation and I think going by the record, that was what makes me to be the vice president. Personally I don't even know the presidential candidate before, but I was lucky to have him through other people, and they used my records to uplift me up to that level of the vice president. So I think I am sincerely happy and I will be committed to see that I do not play with the position.

M News: Some people might think APGA belongs to Igbo tribe...

Comrade Koli: No no no! APGA does not belongs to Igbo people, now it has a national color, national reflection and it has some senators, house of representatives taking positions under APGA in the Northern part of the country, and the structures are there in some states and luckily to know that it has a government in the country and is being controlled by APGA in Anambra State. They have senators and they have house of representatives and they have assembly, about 28 members of the assembly are all APGA. So I think is a national party.

M News: One major factor that is affecting the political system of Nigeria is the issues of religion and ethnicity, what call do you have for Nigerians?

Comrade Koli: I think the only call is for us to know that religion is for an individual. One has to be committed to his religion and if you talk of religion is a total submission to your Lord or to Subahana Hu Wa Taala. So I don't think is something that one will win your confidence simply because he is talking of religion. 

Politics is something of coming together, unity, dialogue, discussion, consensus, appointment and at times nomination, all these are politics, but that is not on the religion. Religion is a faith and is deeply rooted in one's heart, so no one knows what is going on between you and your Lord. But politics is practical, you just have to come to people, you just have to do with the people and you have to mobilize people, get their confidence before they vote you. 

So I think using religion is just a mislead way of political arena more especially in our society because it has been long. But all the same now is so wide simply because of our population and the new development of what we call technology, people have more ways of communication than earlier before. So that is why you see all the social media and all these are campaigning and all what have you.

So what does religion has to do with politics? Politics is something that you have to use your money, energy and all what you have. But religion is whether you have Kobo or you don't have Kobo is your own case. You know, you just have to go and pray for your God. 

So I think it's high time for us now to understand that we are looking for the better people and our problems are so challenging that it does not even try to identify who is a Christian or a Muslim when it comes to our problems. The problems we are facing, the challenges we are facing is uniform, it affects all. So let us have a common man, common position about the issue of religion so that we give a submission or a resolved position. 

How do we tackle these problems, I think that is what we expect from the leaders. Not that trying to divide the country and that length, because down that memory if we continue to go on that, it means time we would not have what we call the constitution, we would not have what we call the Rule of Law... And at the end of the day you will see we are not even sitting well with our people, with the society or the community.

And right from the villages up to the urban towns and up to the cities you cannot separate that, we are all living with christians and Muslims. So why now giving all these impression? That religion, religion... For what!

M News: Now that your party is in the geme, are you prepared and ready to win the election?

Comrade Koli: Yes, we are ready, is just a matter of confidence, have the confidence, have the commitment and then show that you are so serious. Is not something that you will be lazy, is something that you show to the world that now party is a vehicle. Only to ride that vehicle and then we come out people will try to see who is that person, what is the caliber of that person. Is he well patriotic, is he willing to protect the interest of lives of people? Is he ready to see that people are living well in peace and harmony and in honesty? I think that is our aim, so that we will have what we call one single Nigera. And that one single Nigera to be in peace, not in pieces. To have viable economy that will take care of our people, that will take care of our society and more especially the issue of Youths. To give them employment, let's not talk about religion simply because we are seeing a lots of problems surrounding us.

The religion we are talking of, I think these mess up could not have happened, because if we are just religion at the mouth and then at our hearts we have evil doing, then what is the use of religion? 

So I think we are willing to see that we give all the necessary components that will help Nigeria to be great, with all the challenges. And there is no person or presidential candidate that can beat back that he would completely eradicate all these problems at a given time. Is a matter of just being serious, be committed and then you take along the judiciary, so that let them do their work. Keep everyone to do his work, Nigera will be well. 

So people are so lazy and they are not even doing what they are supposed to do. They are not contributing their quotas to the development of Nigeria, that is why we are facing problems.