He made this call in Abuja on Friday during the public presentation of Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor.

The Sultan explained that Islam should not be misconstrued as a quest for political power but rather as a faith built on justice, fairness and good governance. “Islamism is not aimed at seizing power at any particular forum. Islam is after good governance in society,” he stated.

He cited the example of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure, noting that Muslims gave him full support without bias. “President Goodluck Jonathan was President; we gave him 100 per cent support. Throughout his presidency, nobody said anything negative against him; he knows that, and he is here. So, Islamism is not what you think it is. It is a wrong notion… We’re after good governance,” the monarch said.

The Sultan, regarded as the spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims, also emphasized that Islam has a clear code of conduct that rejects violence and fanaticism. “We have ways and means of life. Anybody coming outside these to say things that he really doesn’t know about is not for Islam because Islam abhors extremism. You cannot be an extremist and then claim to be a good Muslim,” he stressed.

He cautioned Nigerians to be mindful of their words when discussing insecurity, warning that careless statements could further divide the country. Instead, he called for unity, saying: “Let’s come closer as one big family with different backgrounds to forge ahead to make this country a better country, because there is nothing anybody can do.”

According to him, his interventions on governance and national issues are never targeted at individuals but are guided by the conviction that religion must always promote justice, peace and social harmony.