The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, has urged President Bola Tinubu, the 36 state governors, and other political leaders to respond to Nigerians’ grievances with empathy rather than force.

Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at the launch of the NASFAT History Book to mark the organisation’s 30th anniversary, the Sultan called on leaders to “replace koboko with soft hands” when addressing public concerns over the state of the nation.

“I call on our leaders to look at all of us with that sympathy of father and child. Whatever problems you are having, whatever cries you are hearing, don’t carry koboko and wipe people. Carry some soft hands and touch somebody and say look, things will be okay,” he said.

His remarks come amid worsening economic hardship, rising inflation, and public discontent linked to the removal of fuel subsidy, the floating of the naira, and other government policies. The Sultan stressed that Nigeria cannot survive on injustice, urging leaders to uphold fairness at all levels.

Quoting Islamic scholar Sheikh Abdulrauf, he added, “A nation can endure with unbelief, but it cannot endure with injustice… Conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal it.”

The Sultan also called on citizens to pray for leaders rather than curse them, noting that a leader’s success benefits the people while his failure brings suffering. He encouraged Nigerians to remain resilient and hopeful, expressing faith that the country will overcome its current challenges.

Earlier, NASFAT President Alhaji Ayodeji Abdulrauf described the newly launched history book as a “living testimony” to the organisation’s journey from a small prayer group in Lagos in 1995 to a global faith-based body with over 360 locations worldwide, making significant contributions in education, healthcare, and social welfare.