The Islamic Movement in Nigeria under the leadership of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky yesterday said they never at any time endorsed the candidature of President Muhammadu Buhari in the February 16 elections as indicated by a faceless Shiites group.

A statement by Muhammad Ibrahim Gamawa of the Resource Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria said, “We read with dismay an alleged declaration by a so-called ‘Shi’ite Youth Political Forum’ in Katsina state that the IMN has endorsed the candidature of Buhari in the February 16 elections.”

The statement said the IMN “has never had any ‘Shi’ite Youth Political Forum.’ All our communications are channeled from renowned sources which have not been hidden from the general public.”

The IMN said “for the records, you may recall that it is the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari that launched an unprovoked attack on the Islamic Movement in Nigeria in December 2015, where 1000+ members of the movement were mercilessly killed indiscriminately and buried in mass graves.

“The attackers (Nigerian Army) killed three sons of the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky in his presence, shot him and his wife severally and incarcerated them in illegal detention for more than three years.

“That after securing an order for his release by the Federal High Court Abuja, the government flouted the court order and kept them in detention till date despite their multiple injuries and denied them access to medical attention,” the statement said.

Despite these “all these atrocities and many more, endorsing the candidature of Buhari will be endorsing all the atrocities committed by his government, including incarceration of Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife. No right-thinking person will believe that the movement will endorse a president that committed heinous crimes against its members.”

It said, the IMN will not be blind and ignorant to support a candidate that infringes on the rights of minorities all over the nation. “Thus, its members will utilize and use their eight million votes wisely to support democracy, not tyranny,” the statement said.

•Sourced from a Daily Trust report

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