The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has raised concerns over how the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket is allegedly being weaponised to blackmail and extort the federal government, to the disadvantage of Muslims.
In a statement signed by its Deputy National Legal Adviser, Imam Haroun Muhammad Eze, Esq., and released on Friday, October 10, 2025, the apex Muslim body led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, decried the manipulation of religious narratives to undermine governance and Muslim representation.
The Deputy National Legal Adviser of the NSCIA pointed out that during past administrations when Muslims held key positions such as Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff, CAN leadership openly accused them of complicity in the country’s insecurity.
However, he noted that now, under the current administration where nearly all the service chiefs are Christians, the same group has shifted its narrative, creating new scapegoats to sustain its agenda of maligning Islam and Muslims.
He also highlighted the reality that some terrorist groups portrayed as Islamic were actually created by anti-Islamic actors. Citing former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s public acknowledgment that the United States created Al-Qaeda, the apex Muslim body in Nigeria stressed that these narratives serve ulterior motives, including the disproportionate political dominance of certain groups.
Despite Muslims being the majority in Nigeria, Imam Muhammad Eze, Esq. noted that 62% of presidential appointees are Christians, as confirmed by the presidency in May 2025—a statistic that has drawn no protest from CAN, revealing the imbalance in the country’s political appointments.
He highlighted President Tinubu’s recent visit to Plateau State, where he met Christian leaders at the headquarters of COCIN Church but did not acknowledge the oppressed Muslim minority in the region. This, the Council said, clearly shows how the propaganda around the Muslim/Muslim ticket is exploited to the detriment of Muslims.
According to him, “The Qur’an is clear that some would be satisfied with a Muslim (no matter how fair, just and equitable) only if the Muslim denounces Islam. The activities of CAN and its local and international proxies are
orchestrated to attract further imbalance, undue sympathy, generate international funds and stoke Islamaphobia further.
“Surely the disbelievers spend their wealth to hinder others from the Path of the Almighty; they shall surely continue to spend it and regret shall (ultimately) be their reward” (Quran 8:36).
The Deputy National Legal Adviser also expressed concern over the role of some federal agencies in targeting Muslims. It cited a recent National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) circular banning coinsurance between conventional insurers and Takaful operators—a move that violates the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA 2025) and is intended to deepen divisions between Muslims and non-Muslims.
According to him, “A few weeks ago, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) issued a circular prohibiting a coinsurance between the conventional insurers and Takaful Operators without any identified mischief caused by the existing principle and against the established international best
practices.
This circular of exclusivity, which clearly violates the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA 2025), which was recently assented to by Mr. President, is intended to further create a divide between the Muslims and the non-Muslims in the country.”
The apex Muslim body reaffirmed its commitment to a united Nigeria and vowed to protect this ideal “even in the face of the greatest provocation.”
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