The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has assured Christian leaders not to exercise worry over the Sharia Bill currently before the Senate, saying there is no law in the country that can override or compete with the 1999 Constitution.
He also disclosed that the national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) nominated him as vice president.Osinbajo, while reacting on the question by General Overseer of Soul Winning Chapel, Reverend (Dr.) Moses Iloh, during a colloquium titled: ‘State of the Nation’ organised by The Coalition of Nigerian Apostolic Leaders in Lagos yesterday, said, “It is not possible for Sharia to become a binding law on all the citizens of Nigeria.”
He dismissed the insinuation that the Federal Government is interested in Sharia becoming a law in the country, saying: “It is not right at all for anybody to think, fret of imagine that the APC or President Muhammadu Buhari is interested in Sharia becoming a law in Nigeria.
Although, he said it was a public knowledge that a private bill on Sharia is currently before the Senate but since the government did not sponsor it there is no need to interfere.
He explained that any bill that the Federal Government wants to sponsor will go to the Senate through the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federation and since the Sharia Bill is a private bill it cannot necessarily be enforced on all Nigerians.
Shedding more light on the issue, which appears to be giving Christian leaders some concern, Osinbajo said, “In the first instance Sharia is in the Constitution and it is only applicable to Muslims. Secondly, it would require the amendment of the 1999 Constitution before any law could become binding on all Nigerians.”
The vice president also used the occasion to clear the air over the controversies surrounding who nominated him as the running mate to President Buhari in the build up to the 2015 elections.
According to him, “I was nominated by the national leader of our party.” Although he did not mention any specific name but the only person recognised with the title in the ruling party is former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu. Read more
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