My Foundation Never Converted Christians To Islam, Ganduje Replies Babachir Lawal

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has denied the allegation made by the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, that the Ganduje Foundation is being used to forcefully convert Christians to Islam.

The former SGF had claimed among other things that the foundation was created with the sole aim of forcing some Christian faithful to join Islam.

Lawal had while rejecting the choice of Kashim Shettima as running mate to Bola Tinubu, the Presidential Candidate of the APC, accused Ganduje of attempting to Islamise Nigeria through his foundation.

But dismissing the claim in a statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information, Muhammad Garba, on Wednesday, Ganduje said the comment was totally false.

The statement noted that there is no compulsion in religion as it gives individuals the freedom to choose their own religion.

He added that Islam provides non-Muslims with considerable economic, cultural and administrative rights hence no need for forceful conversion.

According to him, there was never a time any Christian or non-believer was forced to embrace Islam by the foundation because it negates the teachings of Islam.
He said, “It was unfortunate that at a time when the country needs to be united for national development and religious tolerance, a man of Babachir’s caliber, who is highly respected, would spread falsehood without much consideration to his position in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and close relationship with the party’s flagbearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Going by its activities, the foundation is not faith-based but purely philanthropic in which case, non-Muslims also stand to benefit from the services it renders.

“Ganduje Foundation was set up about 40 years ago and is engaged in philanthropic, humanitarian and charitable activities that included medical support and assistance to the needy in the society, particularly the orphans and the physically challenged, medical outreach to attend to those with diabetes, hypertension, malaria, dental as well as ante-natal and maternal care.”