Ahmadiyya Nigeria Holds Annual Convention, Preaches Peaceful Elections
By Bintu Jidda
Kanempress
27th December 2022
An Islamic Organization, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at of Nigeria has held its Annual Convention, Jalsa Salana 2022 at its conference ground in Ilaro, Ogun state, Southwest Nigeria.
The Muslim organization charged Nigerians to be committed to a peaceful election in 2023 as only Almighty Allah selects leaders for His people.
The 68th convention with the theme, ‘Our paradise is in our God’, had in attendance various Islamic scholars from within and outside Nigeria, educating members and guests with lectures centred on how to be a better Muslim in the society.
The 3-day spiritual convention enlightened the Muslim faithfuls’ more on the ethics guiding the Islamic religion, the Sunnah and how to be a worthy ambassador of Islam.
The Amir of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at of Nigeria, Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Alatoye, lauded the enthusiasm of the faithfuls’ for the 2022 edition, saying that the worshipper knows the financial and moral importance of the event.
“My message to our members all over the country is that we should pray that Almighty Allah select the right leaders for us at all level and we should pray that He support them so that they can take Nigerian out of the wood,” Alatoye noted.
“We should conduct the election in a free and fair manner without trying to manipulate it using human effort, because if anyone uses human effort and he gets there and Allah does not support him, he would not be able to do the work.”
“People should avoid violence because the issue of governance is the issue that belongs to Allah, let us make sure that we conduct the election in a very peaceful manner”, Alatoye pleaded.
Similarly, the Ogun state governor, Dapo Abiodun charged the Muslim faithfuls in and across Nigeria to perform their civic rights during the 2023 general election.
Abiodun advised Muslims that performing their civic rights is not just a duty to themselves alone, but to the Almighty Allah, while urging Muslims to ensure they get their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs).
He affirmed that government has been able to promote inter-party tolerance and appealed to Muslims across Nigeria not to allow themselves to be used as political thugs.
“The election is coming, let us perform our civic duties. And as we participate in the electoral process, we must not be disenfranchised.
“The election starts from registration, we must ensure we get our permanent voter’s card and then after that, we must ensure we present ourselves for the election and exercise our franchise.
“This is a duty to ourselves as it is a duty to the Almighty God, because it is through us Almighty God chooses those that rule over us,” he said.
Governor Abiodun, who commended the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at for helping Nigeria to shape young ones, guide the women in the society, equally lauded the movement for being very strong in inter-religious harmony and peace.
He also urged religious leaders to continue to uphold the teachings of the faith.
“If your sermons elucidate those kinds of topics, you find out that people will be more receptive to what we politicians tell them.
“This movement stands very tall, they are a very organized movement, they are very disciplined and they hold some values very highly and that is what continues to guide them since the inception of this movement in Nigeria.
“They are very strong in inter-religious harmony and peace and more importantly, they are also paying taxes here, (Ogun State).
“You know that we by nature, we have more faith in our religious leaders than even government and we must continue to support our religious institutions as they preach peace, particularly to encourage them to ensure that the kind of sermon they preach for our people are the kinds of sermon that motivate them and give them hope and trust in the administration,” Governor Abiodun concluded.
Highlight of the 2022 convention was the presentation of awards to members of the Jama’at in recognition of their outstanding performance academically.
