Muslims leadersnigeria newsPresident JonathanProfessor Ishaq
OloyedeWestern Nigeria
Muslim Leaders and Imams in western Nigeria on Sunday
shunned an invitation to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan at Ansarudeen
Central Mosque, Lawanson, Surulere, Lagos, southwest Nigeria.
A source said the Muslim leaders, who pointedly told
Jonathan to keep his dollars, rejected the invitation because such a meeting
with the President could polarise and create disunity among Muslims across
geo-political divide.
Jonathan greets supporters on arrival in Lagos on Saturday
Jonathan greets supporters on arrival in Lagos on Saturday
The source who was privy to a phone conference meeting at
the instance of the Secretary General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for
Islamic Affairs, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, stated that the Muslim leaders argued
that since Muslim leaders countrywide turned down the President’s earlier
proposed meeting proposed with them, it would be a betrayal for Muslims in the
southwest to separately meet Jonathan.
Professor Ishaq Akintola, Director, Muslim Rights Concern
(MURIC) wondered why the President, who never sent invitation to meet them
before, is now eager to meet Muslims a few weeks to election.
Akintola said President Jonathan has always ignored the plea
of Muslims for fairness and justice in appointments to top political positions.
According to him, “President Jonathan neglected and
marginalised us in the past. Why is it now that he wants to meet us? If he
wants to meet us, he should wait till after the election, not now. We don’t
want his dollars.”
President Jonathan has been meeting with various
ethno-religious leaders and socio-cultural groups in the southwest to solicit
their support for his re-election.
During such meetings dubbed ‘dollar fest’ by a section of
the social media, Jonathan allegedly doled out thousands of dollars which run
into billions of naira to the invitees.
Credit to Jamiu Yisa
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