Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Directorate of Muslim Affairs of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHA), Lagos State chapter, has held a strategic stakeholder engagement to rally grassroots Islamic leadership behind the political ambitions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat.

The meeting, convened on Tuesday at the RHA Secretariat in Lagos, brought together Chief Imams from across the five traditional IBILE divisions of the state (Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos Island, and Epe), along with heads of Arabic Markaz institutions, mosque leaders and representatives of major Islamic organisations.

Speaking at the gathering, the Director of Muslim Affairs, Alhaji Waheed Tella, stressed the strategic necessity of consolidating faith-based voting blocs to secure democratic outcomes. Tella, who convened the meeting alongside his Deputy, Alhaji M. O. Sanni, the Secretary, Hajia Aloba Idayah Esq., and Unit Heads Alhaji Tajudeen Uzamot and Alhaji Wasiu, stated that the directorate holds a specific mandate to deliver what he estimated as over 15 million Muslim votes across the state.

He further noted that the state organisation operates under the leadership of Tayo Ayinde, Chief of Staff to the Governor of Lagos State, who serves as the Director-General of RHA Lagos.

Delivering the keynote lecture, Dr. Shaykh Muslihudeen Abiodun Kalejaye, Founder of the Aenur Rahmah International Islamic Society of Nigeria, charged the Muslim Ummah to embrace strategic leadership and deeper civic participation. He urged faithful to safeguard their votes while highlighting the Federal Government’s efforts under President Tinubu in advancing infrastructure, economic stabilization, and national cohesion.

In a keynote address, the Chief of Staff of RHA Lagos, Dr. AbdulGaniu Sopeyin, outlined the strides made under the Renewed Hope Agenda. Citing reforms within the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the roll-out of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme, Sopeyin encouraged parents to leverage these federal interventions and called on all eligible citizens to obtain and safeguard their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

During an interactive session addressing concerns over voter registration, mosque welfare, and female economic inclusion, Sopeyin assured delegates that the RHA framework had already established dedicated Directorates for Women Affairs and Business Women to guarantee structural inclusion.

The engagement drew attendance from a broad spectrum of Islamic organisations across the state, including representatives from Jamahly, Jamatul Islamiyya, Al-Fatih-Quareeb, the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN-Lagos), Al-Muminat, Darul Falah, Darur Ishrad, The Criterion, NACOMYO, NADWAT, Assama Adani, Nawairudeen, and the Islamic Prayer Warriors.