More condemnations trail Sanwo-Olu’s Commissioners’ list, as Lagos Muslim community writes State Assembly

– It fails test of justice, equity: Sheikh Ahmad

– No gov in Lagos has belittled Muslims as Sanwo-Olu did, Shafii insists

Condemnations have continued to trail the Commissioner-nominees recently announced by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The Commissioner-nominees list has also received denunciation from Islamic scholars that described the nomination as lopsided, biased and unprecedented in the history of the state.

Muslim News reported that Governor Sanwo-Olu forwarded a list of his 39-man commissioner-nominees to the Lagos State House of Assembly, with only 9 Muslims appointed against 30 Christians.

The Muslims who criticised and rejected the list recalled that Sanwo-Olu, a Christian, enjoyed their massive support and votes during his re-election bid in March 2023, telling him to reciprocate the gesture by being fair and just to the Muslim community.

Notable Muslim organisations including the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) and The Companion, among others have also voiced their resentment in respect of the controversial list.

On Friday, Muslim scholars also publicly spoke against the cabinet composition on the minbar (pulpit) during Juma’at sermons, the same platform they used a few months ago to mobilise their members in Lagos to vote massively for the Governor for fairness and to checkmate occupationists.

Muslim News monitored the sermon delivered by the National Missioner of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria Sheikh AbdurRahman Ahmad at the organisation’s Headquarters Mosque, Surulere, and the Grand Mufti of Conference of Islamic Organisation, CIO, Sheikh Dikrullahi Shafii held at the NTA Tejuosho, Yaba, Lagos premises.

Sheikh Ahmad enjoined the entire Lagos Muslim community to reject Gov. Sanwo-Olu’s commissioner-nominees list and demanded that the list be readjusted to 50 per cent for Muslims in the cabinet.

On his part, Sheikh Shafii expressed displeasure over the Governor’s action, calling on him to increase the number of Muslim representatives on the list.

The two revered Muslim scholars later spoke with Muslim News in separate interviews.

The list failed fairness and justice tests, says Sheikh Ahmad

Sheikh Ahmad said he felt betrayed by the action of Mr. Sanwo-Olu, noting that his list failed the tests of fairness, justice, equity and inclusiveness.

He said the Governor pledged inclusiveness during his re-election campaign only to come up with an alienating list.

He warned the Governor that his action was capable of sowing the seeds of discord and exacerbating the trust deficit between the people and the government.

“To say I am disappointed could be a gross understatement. I feel betrayed. That’s the appropriate word because the list fails all tests. It fails the test of fairness, justice and equity. It fails the test of inclusiveness. It fails the test of promoting religious harmony and cohesion. As far as I am concerned, it’s a betrayal of trust,” he noted.

“Potentially, it’s capable of opening a new chapter in intercommunity and interreligious relationships in the state. It’s capable of sowing the seeds of discord and disharmony, and it further exacerbates the trust deficit between the people and their government. We trusted the Governor, and we voted for him massively, even though he’s not a Muslim, demonstrating goodwill. He promised to guarantee inclusiveness and fairness.

“We are not asking for what we do not have a right to. We are not asking for an arrangement that will see us dominating others. We don’t want to dominate anyone. We don’t want anyone to dominate us. We want fairness, equity, justice, inclusiveness. We have 8 representatives of the Muslim community in a list of 39 cabinet members. It’s unthinkable, unjust and unfair.”

… It’s unfortunate State Assembly fails to respond to letter

The National Missioner of Ansar-Ud-Deen said the Muslim community has written a letter to the State Assembly to report the religious discrimination that played out in Sanwo-Olu’s cabinet list.

“So far, we have not gotten any positive response. We are hoping that the issue of inclusiveness and fair representation along our major fault lines would still be addressed,” he added.

… Leaving two Muslim candidates to vote Sanwo-Olu

In his reaction to insinuations from some Muslim youths who blamed the Muslim community for leaving the two Muslim candidates in the race to vote for Gov Sanwo-Olu, Sheikh Ahmad said, “The Muslims that were contesting on other platforms do not stand a very good chance to win the race,” adding that there was a need to support the Governor against the occupationists and in the interest of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to him, “During the election, we had to weigh our chances and we had to balance our interests. The Muslims that were contesting on other platforms do not stand a very good chance. We were conscious of the fact that we did not want to waste our votes. We believed that APC as a party, even though the majority of us are not card-carrying members of any party, has leaders we can talk with because we’ve had a longstanding relationship since the return to civil rule in 1999. We thought we have come a long way.

“You’ll agree with me that this is unprecedented. Nothing has been this insensitive and alienating. If the Governor is testing the waters, then I think it’s a very unfortunate misadventure.

“He should remember that we held discussions and he made assurances of fairness equity and inclusiveness. Again, I want to emphasise that we are not asking for anything that’s not fair to others. We are not asking to be preferred. We are only asking for equitable representation.

“The list should be reworked and it should reflect the fact that a sizeable voting population in Lagos State who gave their votes to this present administration of the Governor are Muslims. And that whether or not we voted for him, we have rights as citizens. We are not asking for payment. We are asking for what is a constitutionally guaranteed right. That’s the reason we are having the Governor as Christian and the deputy as Muslim. That has been the balance.

“Of course, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode became Governor of Lagos because of the yearnings of Christians that they also wanted a shot at governance. We voted and kept faith. We voted for Akinwunmi Ambode. We voted for Sanwo-Olu. So, what will anybody blame us for? Is it religious bigotry or what? We think we have been fair to them. We think they should reciprocate that good gesture by at least being fair to us.”

… Request not a conflict between Muslims and Christians

The eloquent Muslim scholar, however, called on Muslims to remain calm over the development, noting it is not a conflict between Muslims and Christians.

“Muslims should remain calm but firm and resolute in pressing their rights to be fairly represented in government. They should shun acts of violence. And they should not allow themselves to be provoked. It’s a free world. They can express themselves most decently.

“I also want to remind them that this is not a conflict between Muslims and Christians. It is a matter of an individual who is not keeping to the terms of the trust reposed in him. I want to tell the Muslim community that the discussion is still ongoing.”

Sanwo-Olu writing his history

Sheikh Shafi’i, while speaking with Muslim News said the Lagos State Governor is writing his history for which he would be remembered for long.

The Grand Mufti advised Sanwo-Olu to rethink and grant the Muslim community adequate representation even if it’s 50% at the minimum.

“The development was actually surprising to all Muslims and even Christians alike; the sincere ones. What Governor Sanwo-Olu did is unprecedented in the history of Lagos State, at least since 1999. It didn’t happen during Tinubu’s, Fashola’s and Ambode’s. This timing is very wrong because we Muslims mobilised massive support for the APC at both federal and state levels. If the Governor was to be sincere, he would also know his action was not right,” he told Muslim News in a phone interview.

Sheikh Shafii, who is also the spiritual head of The Muslim Congress (TMC) said Mr. Sanwo-Olu’s action has shown that he does not regard the Muslim community, asking him to state the criteria for his lopsided cabinet list.

However, he warned Muslims not to resort to violence over the provocative list of the Governor, noting the response to it must be strategic.

“Mr. Sanwo-Olu has just revealed his hidden intentions against Islam with a highly lopsided list. Out of 39 cabinet members, he gave Muslims a paltry 8. He should tell us the criteria he used in arriving at that list. Even if those names were suggested to him, he should have taken time to observe the lopsidedness and do the needful if he were a just and peace-loving leader. Sanwo-Olu has just shown us his rating of the Muslim community in Lagos State.

“I, for one, do not tolerate violence or chaos. Whatever steps we will be taking in reaction to the development must be strategic and well-thought-out. So, I sue for peace and calm among the Muslims. We are hoping that reason will prevail and they will address our concerns. We want to believe that they just used that to test the waters. It’s unacceptable to us. We’ll grace any roundtable discussion we are invited to in seeking understanding and resolution of the matter.

“The youths should, therefore, be calm. We don’t want a riot. The elders are already on top of the matter. We don’t want anything that will disturb the peace of Lagos State. It is one of the states that is most peaceful in the country. This is because we accommodate ourselves as Muslims and Christians. We urge the Governor not to destroy this harmonious relationship we have built over time. He should know that he is a leader to both Muslims and Christians in the state.
“What we are calling for is fair and equitable representation. Mr. Sanwo-Olu has marginalised the Muslim community with his cabinet list,” he said.

Speaking on the issue of not rooting for Muslim candidates during the election, Sheikh Shafi’i also noted that those who contested did not stand a chance because of their platforms, adding the real contest was between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP).

“The fact is that during the period of election, the Muslim candidates who contested did not stand a chance of winning considering their platforms. We considered the fact that Lagos State cannot afford to be in opposition to the President. We went for the lesser evil by voting Sanwo-Olu. If the Labour Party which had the sympathy of the Igbos had emerged, we’d probably be contending with the issue of Biafra agitations in the state now. We voted to protect Lagos State.

“We didn’t lose Lagos State. So, there’s no regret at all. The maximum number of years Sanwo-Olu can spend is 4. Another election is just around the corner. Sanwo-Olu is writing history for himself. Tinubu wrote him, just like Fashola and Ambode. There’s still room for amendment. It’s for Sanwo-Olu to decide what history he’s writing for himself.”