- Sanusi says those playing the religious card in politics are not better than everyone else

- He says Zamfara's high poverty rate despite starting Sharia law in 1999 is an example of how religion cannot necessarily work in politics

- Sanusi says that because it is a democracy however, people who play the religious game to get into politics still have to be given a chance

Emir of Kano Sanusi believes it is not right to use religion to make people vote politicians into office

Emir of Kano Muhammad Sanusi II has said that religion should not be used as a means of acquiring power because it never brings good results.

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Sanusi gave the example of Zamfara state which has the highest level of poverty in Nigeria despite being the first one to start the implementation of Sharia law in the country in 1999.

The Cable reports that Sanusi made this assertion while speaking at the Mo Ibrahim Forum in Marrakesh, Morocco on Saturday, April 8 where he noted that many people that use religion as tool of getting power are not better than others.

He noted however that they deserve to be given their chance in a democracy so that they do not go on “pushing a myth, that they were not given a chance”.

He said: “I think the ability to give these groups a chance, you know people come and say they want to establish Islamic law, and they are elected.

“Give them four years, after sometime people find out that they have not improved education, they have not put food on the table, they’ve not provided healthcare, they vote them out.

“So long as you don’t give them a chance to try and succeed or fail, you have a myth of people being denied an alternative, that would make their lives better. I think the mistake that many people make is that they simply don’t have the patience to wait four years.

“We have had it in Nigeria; people came and said they were implementing Sharia. Zamfara state started Sharia in Nigeria, it has the highest rate of poverty in the country today.

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“It’s a matter of time for people to realise that this is all deception, this is all politics, this is not religion; it is about politicians appropriating religion as a discourse for getting into power.”

Legit.ng recalls that just recently, Muhammadu Sanusi II, Emir of Kano, in his key note address during the opening ceremony of Kaduna state's investment programme titled 'Promoting Investment Amidst Economic Challenges' said northern Nigeria will be the poorest if the country is broken into components.

Sanusi urged them not to use the oil rich Niger delta, commercially viable Lagos and business oriented south east to mirror the living standard of the region

The Emir made the disclosure at the second edition of the Kaduna Investment Forum, Kadinvest 2.0 in the state. He says the north-east and west are the most poorest in the country and even in the world.