Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Hassan Kukah says he has been under pressure to vie for political office for 30 years.
Kukah stated that he refrained from giving in to the pressure because of the nature of politics.
The respected cleric spoke in a keynote address at a forum in Kaduna on Friday.
Meanwhile, Kukah lamented that the judiciary was allowing itself get sucked into politics, saying it portends grave danger for the nation’s democracy.
“I am saddened by the fact that the judiciary has now found itself being sucked into politics.
“I am also sad to the extent that even we who are priests in the church are getting sucked in politics because you will never come out the same.
“You go to wrestle with a pig in the mud, you may defeat the pig but you cannot come out and show yourself and be proud of what you look like.
“I am not saying that politicians are pigs but I am saying that politics has its own rhyme and if you have a kind of certain moral responsibility – many people have been saying to me in the last 30 years to come and contest election but allow me finish with Parish work first.
“If I was under that illusion, there are many people who say they would pay for me but I know that I will not make a good president because good presidents are not what you are looking for.
“We have potholes, we want people who can fix them. We want people who can give us electricity,” Kukah said.
However, he said this was no justification to disrespect the judiciary or make it a scapegoat.