Bishop Kukah Clears Air On Partisan Politics

The Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has insisted that he has no interest in partisan politics.
He stated this during a media briefing with journalists at St. Bakhita Secretariat in Sokoto State on Monday.
Kukah also denied calling for a coup in Nigeria and said different lies were being peddled about in his name.
The cleric has been in the news ever since he published a Christmas message last week, accusing President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration of nepotism.
Bishop Kukah used the opportunity to make it clear that he has no interest in politics.
“I have no plan and will never play partisan politics for any reason.
“Those who link my message to partisan politics are only playing to the gallery.
“Take, for instance, brilliant Nigerian youths making comments about Chelsea or Arsenal and have never been to England, does that make them players of such club sides?
“So, why will someone think because Bishop Kukah is speaking therefore, he is a politician? People who make this argument are totally ignorant of elementary politics and ignorant of the role of a priest.
“The truth is that a lot of us have not seen a priest saying what I am saying. The truth of the matter is, we are all in politics, but party politics for me, no. I am not a member of any political party and I cannot be. If it comes to voting, I do my right,” he said.
Meanwhile, a former Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani, has called on youths in the North to fight bandits and leave Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Mathew Kukah alone.
In his Christmas message, Kukah had accused President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration of nepotism.
He claimed that Buhari had sacrificed the dreams of Nigerians on the altar of nepotism and Northern hegemony.
But, the Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, accused the clergyman of attempting to destroy the quest for national integration by instigating violence.
CNG said Kukah was using religion to cause disharmony and facilitate the further emasculation of Northern Nigerian Muslims.
However, Sani, in a tweet wrote: “My Dear Northern Youths; leave the Kukah in Sokoto and fight the bandits in your shokoto.”