A Northern group known as Tijjaniyyah Sect has demanded that the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, must include its members in his cabinet as one of the conditions to get its support.
The group also demanded government appointments, a reduction in Hajj fares and assistance in concluding its university – Tijjaniyyah University, which is under construction in Kano.
The group made the demands on Sunday during an interactive session with the APC candidate, stressing that their demands are compensation for endorsing Tinubu for the 2023 presidential election.
The interactive session held inside the African Hall of Kano Government House was attended by Tinubu’s running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima and at least six governors of the party. The governors are the Chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum and Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu, Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos).
The members of the Tijjaniyyah Sect led by its leader, Sheikh Bashir Tijjani Usman Zangon Bareebah, presented a long list of issues the sect wants Tinubu to address when he gets to the office.
The group, after giving its full endorsement and support to Tinubu’s ambition, demanded that his presidency should ensure the inclusion of their members in cabinet and other government appointments, reduction in Hajj fares and assistance in concluding Tijjaniyyah University under construction in Kano.
PM News reports that other demands in the group’s list include improved electricity, quality education, full security, and giving agriculture full attention including provision and completion of dams.
Responding to the group’s demands, Tinubu said the answers to some of the demands were contained in his manifesto launched on Friday by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Tinubu stressed that he is running to be the president because of his commitment to better the lives of all Nigerians, saying, “There is a strong nexus between the place of Kano as a centre of prosperity and my plan for Nigeria. What I pledge is a revamped economy that will renew the hope of our people. Our country needs multiple centres of prosperity, and we intend to achieve that by adding value across all sectors of our economy.
“As I said during my speech at the Arewa House on Monday, Nigeria is sitting on a goldmine. There is no state in Nigeria that is lacking in one resource or the other. We are determined to explore and exploit these resources to the maximum benefit of our people. Kano, for example, has huge agricultural potential and important mineral resources underneath its ground like gold, silver, nickel, tin ore, and columbite. Each of these, if properly harnessed, can add significantly to our economy as a country.”
Indeed they should.