‘Nigerian Muslims united under Sultan’s leadership on Ramadan date’

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has dismissed claims of division among Nigerian Muslims regarding the start of Ramadan. In a statement, MURIC Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, described recent pronouncements by some Islamic scholars on the commencement date as an academic exercise in astronomy, not a challenge to the Sultan of Sokoto’s authority.

Akintola clarified that these scholars were not acting as leaders of Nigerian Muslims but as academics engaging in intellectual discussion, a practice, he noted, is common and often sensationalized by the press. He emphasized that the Sultan of Sokoto, as President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), is the sole authority on Ramadan commencement and all other Muslim matters in Nigeria.

MURIC affirmed that Nigerian Muslims are united under the Sultan’s leadership and will await his official announcement, regardless of any prior academic pronouncements. The group also disowned an individual claiming to be the Chief Imam of Yorubaland, stating that such a position is non-existent and fraudulent.