The Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), yesterday accused the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation of planning to assassinate his running mate, Pastor Tunde Bakare.

A Second Republic Senator and Deputy Coordinator of the now rested Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation, North-Central Zone, Walid Jibrin, had allegedly said in a newspaper report (not of The Nation) of February 16 that Buhari goofed by picking Pastor Bakare as his running mate without investigating his background.

According to Jibrin, Bakare, who was once a Muslim converted from Islam to Christianity, a situation he described as an abominable offence in Islam.

Jubrin also said that punishment for such unfaithfulness is death by stoning.

He added that Bakare risked being stoned to death if the Muslim Ulamas and other relevant Islamic organisations could dig up the fact of the matter and take appropriate measures in accordance with Islamic laws.

Buhari, who spoke through his spokesman Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said it was unfortunate that the Jonathan’s camp can be “inciting hatred and religious bigotry” adding that the choice of Bakare was not a mistake.

He stated that he stands by the decision which was an informed choice for the benefit of Nigerians based on patriotism and the need to get a running mate who is committed to Nigeria, with like-passion.

The former Head of State said the “Senator is not an individual. He is the Deputy Coordinator for Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation for North-Central Zone, which means he made the speech for the campaign organisation. And at a time when Nigeria is battling religious crisis, when there is a wave of terror across our land, in some parts of the country, for the Jonathan Campaign to be inciting hatred and religious bigotry, is most unfortunate, reckless, and irresponsible and it is something that all lovers of peace and harmony should frown at.

“Only few days ago, Gen Buhari was calling on Nigerians to learn from Egypt, where Christians were forming shield around Muslims as they pray during their demonstrations and to show that Nigeria should move from balance of hate to balance of faith. But the Jonathan Campaign, through Senator Jibrin, is inciting hatred, bringing hatred into politics and what they are saying, has no basis in Islam. In true Islam, what is preached is that there is no compulsion in religion and Nigeria is a circular state.”

Buhari added: “Even in states where Sharia has been adopted, those who were condemned to death under the Sharia law, have had to get the plea from Appeal Court when they appealed to the High Court. So, it is unfortunate that a former senator and an official of the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organization, is inciting people to go and kill the vice presidential candidate of Gen Buhari because what he has done, is clearly nothing but to incite murder and given the level of religious tension in some parts of the country, it may appear that the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign maybe plotting assassination against the vice presidential candidate to Gen Buhari. And they may not want to do it directly by themselves; they may now be inciting others to do it for them.”

Buhari enjoined the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim to immediately invite Senator Jibrin for questioning and to give guarantee that if anything happens to Pastor Bakare, he would be held responsible.

Noting that “true Islam abhors what Jibrin is saying,” Buhari said what “Jibrin is doing is in the realm of terrorism that is being confused with Islamic teachings and which the whole world has condemned.”

On the personality and integrity of his running mate, Buhari noted that “in January, last year Pastor Tunde Bakare led Nigerians, Muslim-Christians to fight for the Constitution to be upheld, for which his (Jibrin’s) principal is a beneficiary today. For their campaign organisation to be inciting murder against the man who led the matches, just last year, shows that these are not patriotic Nigerians and they should be called to order by all rational Nigerians because this is not what we need at this stage. What we need at this point is a robust campaign and debate and we are challenging them to debate on the state of Nigeria.