News Editor
The Northern Youths Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has urged a prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Mansur Sokoto, to refrain from misrepresenting Islam and interfering in politics.
The Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal (GEPT) sitting in Lafia, Nasarawa State has invalidated the victory of Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and declared Mr. David Ombugadu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the rightful winner of the election.
Mansur expressed his concern that the governorship legal disputes in Taraba and Nasarawa states in Northern Nigeria posed a threat to Islam.
In a Facebook post titled “Islam and Northern Arewa” in Hausa language, Mansur shared his reflections.
“The ongoing governorship legal disputes in some states are disconcerting. If Taraba and Nasarawa end up with non-Muslim governors, the Islamic religion will be at risk,” the Cleric stated.
After presenting his perspective, the Islamic cleric posed a question, asking, “What is the solution?”.
In response, NYCN’s national president, Isah Abubakar, issued a statement, emphasizing that Islam transcends tribe, ethnicity, and region; it represents justice, equity, and love, prioritizing good governance over faith, according to the beliefs of Muslims.
“For those who have been following recent trends on social media, particularly Facebook, you may have encountered a misleading statement by Sheikh Mansur Sokoto, in which he claims that Islam will be endangered if Taraba and Nasarawa states have non-Muslim governors.
“As Muslims and Northerners, we wonder where Sheikh Sokoto derived his teachings, as Islam advocates good governance over faith.
“To us, his post appears to be mere speculation and a personal opinion. We advise Sheikh Sokoto to instead focus on generating ideas to combat the rising issues of kidnapping, banditry, and cattle rustling, which have become rampant in the Northern states governed by Muslim governors,” Isah stated further.
NYCN called on Sheikh Sokoto and other clerics to refrain from inflaming the political environment by interfering in political and judicial matters. Such actions may lead to disunity among Nigerians, intimidation, and threats to court rulings, ultimately jeopardizing the country’s peace and democracy.
Isa also made it clear that Mr. David Ombugadu, the Governor-Elect of Nasarawa State and the reason for Sheikh Sokoto’s outburst, served his constituency diligently as a member of the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019.
“It is on record that he served his constituents without discrimination based on religion, fostering unity among both Christians and Muslims.
“Therefore, any attempt to revoke the mandate given to him by the people of Nasarawa State on religious grounds is undemocratic and un-Islamic. Similarly, in Taraba State, where the current Governor was duly elected, attempting to influence the judiciary using religious sentiments is unwarranted,” he added.
