Sultan Urges Nigerians To Stop Castigating Leaders

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Mohammad Abubakar II, cautioned Nigerians on Monday against criticising their leaders, urging them instead to leave matters in God’s hands.

Abubakar stressed that nothing—whether good or bad—lasts forever and encouraged Nigerians to continue praying for both their leaders and the nation.

The Sultan also reminded Nigerian leaders that on the Day of Resurrection, the Almighty will hold them accountable for their actions, with no one to defend them before their Creator.

He further advised religious leaders against misleading their followers for personal gain, noting that 90 per cent of people who listen to religious leaders in mosques and churches view them as saviours.

The Sultan made these remarks during the Regional Conference on Climate Change-Induced Conflicts in Northern Nigeria, hosted by the Kaduna State Bureau of Interfaith in collaboration with International Alert, on Monday.

He said, “Do your best in worshipping Allah (God) and leave the rest to Him, not to anyone else. Don’t follow those who will lead you astray. Many things have been happening in this country, and we believe we must return to Allah. Intensify prayers for our country in all mosques. I won’t mention churches because the CAN President is here, and I believe he will say the same.

“A lot of people say we have never had it so bad, but no matter how difficult things are, relief will come. We believe that nothing lasts forever— neither bad times nor good times.

“Let us intensify prayers in our congregations and encourage our followers to pray for our leaders. We will not criticise them; we will allow Almighty Allah to deal with them as He wishes, and He will.

“As one of the speakers said, Allah will ask all of us what we did with the leadership entrusted to us on earth. On that day, each of us will be alone; nobody will be there to support us. No deputy governor will stand for the governor; no special adviser or SSG will be there.

“You are on your own, as I always say. We all will be alone. Let us fear Allah in whatever we do and pray for our country. We are blessed; travel to other countries and see. Yes, we face challenges, but nothing lasts forever. With hard work and commitment, we can become a better country.

“The North faces many problems—not only a lack of awareness about climate change but also poverty and insecurity in a region once known for progress and peace.

“Our gathering here is a unifying event for us as one family in the North. There are many misunderstandings and misrepresentations from those trying to divide us. They know the North’s strength is significant, not only in Nigeria but globally.

“If we are united, we can confront any challenge. If we are united, we will create a better and more prosperous community. That’s why so many negative comments are made about certain issues—comments we know are untrue but are intended to divide us.”

In his remarks, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Most Reverend Dr D.C. Okoh, acknowledged that climate change is a reality in the North, describing it as a humanitarian crisis requiring urgent attention.

He advocated addressing all sources of conflict, including poverty, inequality, and lack of access to resources, as a path forward.

He also stressed the need to educate the public about the impacts of climate change and the importance of environmental stewardship.

Source:- Punchng