Stop campaigning at praying ground, cleric warns politicians

Islamic cleric in Ilorin, Kwara State, Sheikh Habeebullaah El-Ilory has faulted the turning of Islamic praying centre, Yiddi, into a campaign ground for politicians.

El-Ilory, who described such attitude as sacrilegious, said the faithful should shun the development to avoid God’s wrath.

He spoke yesterday as dignitaries from across Nigeria stormed the town for the first memorial prayers for the state’s first Commissioner for Finance, Abdulganiyu AbdulRazak, who died last year.

AbdulRazaq, the first lawyer from northern Nigeria and First Republic minister, died on July 25, 2020 at the age of 93. He was the biological father of incumbent Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara.

The one year prayer, hosted by his first son, the new Mutawalle of Ilorin, Dr. Alimi AbdulRazaq, with his siblings, was attended by prominent Nigerians. 

The governor led the well-wishers to the solemn event. The Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi; House of Assembly Speaker, Salihu Danladi; cabinet members, traditional rulers, religious leaders and the academia, politicians, and the business community graced the event.

The Balogun Gambari, Alhaji Muhammad Adebayo, represented the Emir of Ilorin, Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari. 

The Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheikh Muhammad Bashir, led the prayers for the late sage and the family, beseeching Allah to continue to be with the members.

He harped on some religious, socio-economic and political developments in the state, including the political muscle-flexing that subtly reared its head at the recent Sallah prayers in Ilorin, which had been condemned as unbecoming, un-Islamic and totally unnecessary for a state just finding its feet in the areas of basic amenities and among its peers. 

“There is no place for thuggery and political showmanship at Eid. It is unacceptable and people must desist from such practice,” he said. 

Describing the late AbdulRazaq as a pride of Nigeria and a phenomenon that life throws up only once in a century, he urged the children not to depart from the virtuous path, especially the deceased’s patience, commitment to education, humility, and love for humanity and development.