Yoruba Muslims task Tinubu on fairness, inclusion in political appointments

• Shariah Panel Has Been With Us Since 2002, Say Groups
With the huge number of qualified Yoruba Muslims in the scene, the political arena seems not favourable to them this season as the marginalisation gap becomes widened.

Indeed, the Concerned Yoruba Muslim Scholars in Nigeria in affiliation with Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria, bemoaned the alleged unfair treatment melted out to Southern Muslims in all areas of public service.
The Concerned Yoruba Muslim Scholars in Nigeria is the umbrella body of Yoruba Muslim Scholars in Nigeria with the primary aim to cater to the interest of Yoruba Muslims in public/political affairs and protection of Sharia injunctions and spiritual matters.

The groups. during a world press conference held in Ibadan, alleged the apparent marginalisation and disregard for their constitutional rights, notwithstanding their efforts during the campaign that ushered in the present administration.

In a co-signed speech, President, Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria, Sheikh AbdurRasheedHadiyatullahi and the Chairman, Concerned Yoruba Muslim Scholars in Nigeria, Sheikh AbdurrasheedMayaleeke, said the needless uproar being orchestrated by mere inauguration of Sharia panels in some towns in recent times and the body language of the governors also call for concern.

Retracing the process of the elections saga, they recalled that during the campaign for the presidential election of Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu there was a very stiff and ferocious antagonism from the Nigerian Christians over the religious affiliation of the presidential candidate and even later that of the Vice presidential candidate. They rose in unison against what they tagged “Muslim/Muslim Ticket”.

“Let the whole world recall that the political conspiracy against the Muslims in the Southwest had all along precluded Muslims from emerging as president or vice president since Nigeria’s independence in 1960. Chief MKO Abiola that was poised to remove the jinx had his election annulled while Chief Ernest Shonekan and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who are Christians became direct beneficiaries of his political sojourn. The attendant effect was continuous marginalization of the Southern Muslims.

“Thus, when Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu commenced his political journey into the Aso Rock in 2022, the Muslims came out with full enthusiasms not only on their belief of his competence and capability but also providing relief that as a Muslim, he would attend to the age-long marginalization against the Southern Muslims and which has effectively kept them in disadvantaged positions in all aspects of human endeavour, be it in political appointments, education, job opportunities and what have you.“The Southern Muslims Scholars/masses with the support of their Northern brothers did all they could to ensure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu won the election.

“Ironically, since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn in on 29th May, 2023, the Southern Muslims especially South West Muslims despite being in majority in the region, are faced with another dimension or worst form of marginalization as succinctly predicted by Prof Is-haq Oloyede in his lecture presented at National mosque during the presidential inauguration lecture thus: ” When Muslims are in power, we are not in power. And when we are not in power, we are completely not in power”

“Or how will any reasonable person fairly explain the rationale behind more than 80 percent from the South West occupied by the Southern Christians including those who had fought tooth and nail against the so called Muslim/Muslim ticket! It is not only disappointing but also very annoying,” the group stated.

They presented the appointments from the South West so far together with the religious affiliations of the occupiers to defend the marginalisation allegation thus: In the ministerial position Muslims have four against seven positions held by their christian counterparts.

These are: Dele Alake – Christian – (Minister of Solid Minerals Development); Bosun Tijani – Christian – (Minister of Communication); Wale Edun – Christian – (Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of Economy); Lola Ade John – Christian – (Minister of Tourism); Olubunmi Tunji Ojo – Christian – (Minister of Interior); Jumoke Oduwole – Christian – (Minister of Trade and Investments); Ayodele Olawande – Christian – (Minister of Youths); Ishak Salako Adekunle – Muslim – (Minister of State for Health); WaheedAdelabu – Muslim – (Minister of Power); IsiakaOyetola – Muslim – (Minister of Marine and Blue Economy) and Tunji Alausa Morufu – Muslim – (Minister of Education).

Other top appointments include: Yemi Cardoso – Christian – (Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria); Femi Gbajabiamila (Muslim); Zaccheus A. Adedeji – Christian – (Executive Chairman, FIRS); Pius Akinyelure – Christian – (Chairman, NNPCL Board; not a single Southwestern Muslim in the entire Board); Gbenga Alade – Christian – (MD/CEO AMCON); Kayode Opeifa – Christian – (MD Nigeria Railway Corporation); Tope Fasua – Christian – (Special Adviser to the President on Economy).

Other key security appointments: Wale Egbetokun – Christian – (Inspector General of Police); Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi – Christian – (Director-General DSS); Olanipekun Olukayode – Christian – (Chairman, EFCC); Late Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja – Christian – (Chief of Army Staff); Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede – Christian – (New Chief of Army Staff).

They alleged that these appointments represent few of the level of unfair treatment melted out to Southern Muslims in all other areas of public service.

They further expressed concerns: “It was very disappointing to the Southwestern Muslims that in spite of vehement criticism against the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ticket as Muslim/Muslim, all that the Yoruba Muslims who supported the team and put enormous resources into the struggles got is this unfair representation in the government and a systemic denial of opportunities to participate in the development of the country.

“It will further shock anyone who has an iota of sense of justice and fairness to believe that, aside this treatment meted onto the Yoruba Muslims, not a singular Muslim from the Southeast and South-south was given such an appointment in the current federal Government formation.

“It behoves President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to explain that his sense of justice and fairness is not religiously selective when he also deemed it fit to appoint a Christian Chief of Defence Staff and Secretary to the Government of Federation from the muslim dominated northern Nigeria.

“It is certain and obvious beyond any peradventure that every village in Nigeria today can boast of having competent hands to become president of the country not to talk of holding a political appointment under a president.

“The implication of this is that competent and capable hands are not only existing among the Christians but also in all other religions and Islam of course has more than enough and cannot be an exemption,” the groups stated.

In Lagos state, they explained “the significant roles played by the Muslims when the storm against the Muslim/Muslim ticket garnered dust because the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) was seriously opposed to it and this was responsible for loss of Lagos state in the presidential election because the Christians gave their block vote to Peter Obi. The same CAN has now struck a muted tone when providence suddenly brought before its doorstep proceeds of the “accursed Muslim/Muslim Ticket”.

“It was a series of these ugly happenings that left the Southwestern Muslims with no option other than to be suspicious of a subtle political annihilation being executed against us and unfortunately, using one of us. Presently we cannot boldly say we have a single governor throughout the South west, the only one being rubbed on our face says he is half Muslim, half Christian and every conscious Muslims knew that kind of person as Christian. The case of Ekiti and Ondo States with a sizeable muslim population is worrisome and pretty disturbing. In these states, Muslims are not even considered for a deputy governor compared with Kwara State dominated by the muslim population but always concedes the position of the deputy governor to the Christians. Who is fair and who is unfair ?” They stated.

The Concerned Yoruba Muslim Scholars in Nigeria in Affiliation with Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria, also condemned the needless uproar being orchestrated by mere inauguration of Sharia panels in some towns in recent times and the body language of the governors in that regard.

Noting that there are over 16,000 Central Mosques in Yorubaland and over 300,000 Ward/Compound Mosques, they asserted that the Independence Constitution of 1960, the 1963 Republican Constitution, both entrenched the establishment of Sharia Court of Appeal, just as the 1979 Constitution in S. 240-244 and S. 259(1) of the 1989 Constitution did as well.

Tracing the origin of Shariah in Lagos, they explained: “That the genesis for this legitimate agitation for a Shari’ah judiciary in Yorubaland has started in Lagos as far back as 1894 when Muslims in Lagos requested the implementation of Sharia on them from the then colonial Governor of Lagos, although the request was not granted.

“Muslims in Lagos repeatedly submitted another petition on the Sharia issue to the British imperialists in 1923.

“Timi of Ede, Habeeb Olagunju (d. 1900) and Oluwo Muhammad Lamuye (d.1906) applied Islamic injunctions in the administration of customary matters in their palaces during their reign. A Native Sharia Court was opened at Agbeni area in Ede in 1913, although it was later abrogated in 1918.

“In 1948, the demand for Sharia Courts was made by Ibadan Muslims from the then colonial administration. In their petition, it was said, the Muslim petitioners confirmed that more than four thousand divorce cases involving Muslims were arbitrarily handled, while the Muslim couples were ‘separated like dogs’ (in their words).

“In the same 1948, the Muslim Congress of Nigeria with its headquarters in Ijebu-Ode submitted a memorandum to the Brooke’s Commission of Inquiry. The memorandum was said to have called for the establishment of Muslim Courts in the South.

“It is on record that Sharia Courts were in operation before independence in the Southern cities of Iwo, Ede, Epe, Ikirun, Ibadan, Iseyin, Auchi, Agbede and Lagos. Although they were not reported to have gained the Government’s support.

“On September 12, 1992. Hon. Justice Abdul Kadir Orire (rtd), the then Grand Kadi of Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal visited the newly created Osun State in a tour to enlighten the Osun State Muslim Community on Sharia, and their constitutional right to implement it in the state.

“In December 1999, a memorandum was sent to Osun State House of Assembly by the League of Imams and Alfas on behalf of the Muslim Community of Osun State requesting for the establishment of Sharia Courts in the State for the Muslims, being their constitutional right.

“A memorandum was submitted to the then President-Elect General Olusegun Obasanjo on the non-negotiable demands of Southern Muslims in the 4th Republic the memorandum underscored the issue of Sharia Courts establishment and it was published by New Nigerian newspaper on April 8, 1999. Pg. 20”

The group however, noted that, “The Yoruba Muslim demand has always been that it is the mandatory duty of S/W states to establish a Sharia Court of Appeal and subordinate Courts of first instance for their citizens who are Muslims, considering their substantial number in the population of their various states. This, they demand, in line with the constitutional provision, and against the backdrop of their belief that doing so will further assert accepting the reality of what made up Nigeria since they believe that Nigeria is not a secular state but a multi-religious sovereign nation under God.

“They demand this be done the same way the authority established Muslim and Christian Pilgrim Boards and just as some states have done in the case of Customary Courts of Appeal, as done in states like Plateau, Edo, Delta among others,”

They insisted that the common law court jurisdictions should not be forced on the S/W Muslims as the only alternative left with them whenever they need to seek a legitimate legal redress in their issues of personal law, since the Marriage Act Cap. 218 of the Laws of Federation and Lagos 1958, the Will Law and Law of Administration of Estate are all extant Christian family laws in operation in our courts, and since arguably, the common law is deemed a Christian Law as proven with history and espoused by eminent English Jurists, like Lord Denning, Lord Finely and Lord Summer.

Precisely in the latter’s popular submission in the case of Bowman V. Secular Society ltd.

According to the group, Nigeria is not the only country in Africa South of Sahara to accommodate Sharia, since the same is found in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Gambia and even in Sri Lanka there are Sharia Courts, even though the Muslim population of that country constitute only about 8% of the population!.

They explained that the establishment of Sharia Courts is exclusively meant for the Muslims and parties who wish to be adjudicated according to the Sharia principles, and its establishment should not be misconstrued as a prejudice to the rights of non-Muslims or an agenda to Islamize Nigeria. “After all, the Coptic Christians of Egypt who accounted for less than 7% of the Egyptian population enjoy the facilities of Coptic Communal Courts, and a Coptic Communal Court of Appeal. Yet, Egypt is not a Coptic state,” the groups stated.

The groups further explained that that the Sharī’ah arbitration being exercised by the existing Independent Sharī’ah Panels in Yorubaland is undoubtedly one of the recognised alternative dispute resolution methods in Nigeria. The Supreme Court of Nigeria in Agu v. Ikewibe has upheld the validity of such informal arbitrations. Also, S. 277 of the constitution recognises the jurisdiction of Sharī’ah as a source of law.

“It was after all attempts to convince the Southwestern states to establish Sharī’ah Courts of Appeal has failed that the Muslim Community of each state started to launch ADR platforms named “Independent Sharī’ah Panel” in order to adjudicate on Muslim disputes according to the Sharī’ah, and to fill the lacuna in the judiciary of their various states, as there are no courts of competent jurisdiction to handle matters related disputes related to Islamic personal law in these states, neither the High Court nor the Customary Court. (the Supreme Court has ousted the jurisdiction of both courts on civil matters of Islamic personal law in Alkamawa v. Bello and Usman v. Umaru).

“Already, there are Shari’ah panels sitting at the Central Mosque, Oja Oba, Ibadan, Oyo State (since 1st May, 2002); Abesan Central Mosque, Ipaja, Lagos State & 1004 Estate Central Mosque, Victoria Island, Lagos State (since 2003); Egba Muslims Central Mosque, Kobiti, Abeokuta, Ogun State (since 17th January 2018); Osun State Muslim Community Secretariat, Ring Road, Oshogbo (since 2005); Oja-Oba Central Mosque, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State (held its first sitting in January 2025).

“Meanwhile in the latest development, the Customary Law of Lagos State in its S. 22 provides for that the Lagos State Judicial Service Commission may designate a court to adjudicate on Islamic Law and Matters in relation to marriage, divorce, custody, and inheritanyas it seems fit. This was effected in 2022 when the CJ of Lagos State designated the Ifako/Ijaye Customary Court to sit on matters of Islamic personal law. While this unprecedented move by the Lagos State government is commendable, it raises substantial questions of conflict of jurisdiction that could not be overlooked. Hence, effecting the provision of S. 275 (1) of the 1999 CFRN remains the only plausible way towards filling the judicial lacuna of Muslims’ personal law adjudication in the Southwest”.

The group stated that Yoruba Muslims bear no grudge for any, and have always been tolerant of adherents of other faiths. For this, they should be allowed to implement their God-given and constitutional right to adjudicate with laws of their religion, the Sharia.

“Failure of State governors in South West Nigeria to formally establish Sharia courts of appeal actually led to the setting up of independent Sharia panels across various Muslim Communities. This does not violate any law; rather it helps to resolve many disputes that could have to queue at our already congested, unaffordable and strenuous time consuming bureaucratic process of conventional court processes.

“All the examples of happenings in the South west in the past was as a result of tolerance of the Yoruba Muslims who have Sharia laws replaced with Christian law dubiously called common law by the colonial masters and local politicians that took over from them, conversion of innocent Muslim youths in the name of seeking western education and allowing interreligious marriages with its attendant loss of members or children to Christianity.

“The dominance of political terrain in South West Nigeria by non Muslims was due to religious sensitivity to corrupt and immoral practices that always characterise the political circle, it was this apathy that usually led to political situation where Christians found it easy to become Governors in Muslims dominating states of Oyo, Osun, Lagos and Ogun states whereas Muslims have never found it easy to become governor in Ondo and Ekiti where Christians are the majority.

“The genuine Yoruba Muslims mostly populated in South West Nigeria therefore demand for the establishment of Sharia Courts as it is being operated constitutionally in some other states, we see Sharia courts as complementary to Christian courts as well as Customary courts which is the position of law and constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, anything contrary does not represent the opinion of Yoruba Muslims.

“We are not unaware of a comedian impostor claiming to be Imam of Yorubaland and his co-horts laying claim to islamic scholarship while working against Sharia, all these elements constitute crude distraction to our demands and should be consigned to where they belong,” the Concerned Yoruba Muslim Scholars in Nigeria and the Supreme Council for