Ahead of next year’s election, a renowned Islamic scholar and leader of the Tijjaniya sect, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, has said he will double his prayer for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
The revered Islamic cleric received the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant in Bauchi, saying he will cherish the visit for a long time.
He said: “I have been praying for you before now and now that you are running, I will double up my prayer for you.
“All the things you have in mind God will grant you, we are going to support you so that when next you come here, it would be as president of our country.”
In his response, the vice president thanked the revered cleric for the warm reception and commended his disposition to the unity of Nigeria.
He said: “I am happy to see you. You are someone I hold in very high esteem. The reason is that you have always been one of the strongest advocates for the unity of this country and tolerance amongst all our religious faiths.
“You are somebody who has preached peace and you motivate us all the time. I have listened to you several times and I must commend your courage,” the Osinbajo added.
Informing the religious leader about his quest for the presidency of Nigeria, Osinbajo said: “We believe that the common man must be the centre of everything that we do and must have the opportunity to live their lives, have jobs, and we must provide those jobs.
“I put myself forward to run as the presidential candidate of our party and as you know, I have been vice president for the past seven years and God helping us for another 1 year until the expiration of our tenure.
“During that period, I have had the privilege of serving under an open-hearted leader, President Muhammadu Buhari who has made sure that I learn everything about governing a diverse country and a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country such as ours.”
