- Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere criticizes Sheikh Gumi’s call for Nyesom Wike’s removal and labels it as baseless and divisive
- Ugochinyere expresses concern about the potential for Gumi’s remarks to stoke ethnic and religious tensions in Nigeria
Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, a member of the House of Representatives, has responded to the controversial remarks made by Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, in which he called for President Bola Tinubu to remove Nyesom Wike from his position as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Sheikh Gumi’s remarks, delivered in a video sermon lasting over 14 minutes and posted on his official Facebook page, labelled Wike as “Satan” for welcoming the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria in his office. Additionally, Gumi asserted that President Tinubu would be prevented from serving for eight years.
In light of these statements, Hon. Ugochinyere, who also serves as the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), expressed his disapproval of the message of hate conveyed by Sheikh Gumi. He firmly stated that Wike’s actions did not justify such harsh language from the cleric.
The lawmaker described the call for Wike’s removal as baseless and rooted in sentiments against Southerners and Christians. Ugochinyere voiced his concern that, if left unchecked, such rhetoric could stoke ethnic and religious tensions in the country.
While highlighting Wike’s commitment to commendable FCT reforms, Ugochinyere emphasized that Gumi’s verbal attacks would not deter the minister from pursuing his goals. He further stressed that the recent statements and veiled threats from Gumi should not be ignored by the relevant security agencies, citing the baselessness and insult inherent in the call for Wike’s removal.
As this situation unfolds, it underscores the need for responsible and measured discourse and the importance of promoting unity and understanding in a diverse nation.
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