The Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria has expressed disappointment with the Muslim-Muslim ticket that brought President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima into office in the 2023 general election.
The council also lamented that Muslim communities, especially in Yorubaland, have not benefited from having two Muslims at the highest levels of government, contrary to popular belief.
Speaking at a pre-Ramadan speech in Kaduna on Tuesday, the Sharia Council President Sheikh Abdurrasheed Hadiyyatullah stated that millions of Muslims in Nigeria remain politically disadvantaged, particularly in the South-West, where they massively supported the ticket.
“We have seen Nigerians vote for leaders of the same Islamic faith into the presidency without turning the country into a perpetual battlefield. However, we have not seen justice and equity extended to all communities, regardless of their faith,” Hadiyyatullah stated.
“We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the South-West and advise those who seek to divide the Nigerian Muslim Ummah to find other pursuits. The Ummah looks to us for guidance and assurance that their faith will not be sacrificed on the altar of political opportunism and greed. Many Muslims feel betrayed for voting this administration into power.
“For over two decades, the council has played a pivotal role in addressing insecurity and ethno-religious crises in Nigeria. In the past year, we have engaged with major security stakeholders, including the intelligence community and other strategic actors. These developments demand urgent and decisive action from the government,” he said.
Hadiyyatullah was particularly concerned about the country’s deteriorating socioeconomic situation, which he regarded as “increasingly unbearable.”.
He added that the negative repercussions of government actions, such as the elimination of fuel subsidies, have resulted in increasing living costs, making food, transportation, and necessary products unaffordable for many Nigerians.
“The depreciation of the naira, high inflation, and stagnant wages have further eroded the purchasing power of citizens. The council has consistently advised the administration to adopt policies that alleviate these hardships.
“However, it is alarming that, within a short period, the government has introduced multiple new taxes and tariffs, including a 50% increase in telecommunications tariffs, a 4% FOB charge on imports, a 15% NPA tariff, a 100% hike in ATM charges, and proposed electricity tariff increases.”
The SCSN president reaffirmed the council’s commitment to fighting for a reduction in these harsh measures in order to protect the interests of the poor and vulnerable.
Tinubu chose Shettima as his running mate ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
The Muslim-Muslim ticket sparked consternation in some quarters, including inside the ruling party.
Shortly before Shettima’s statement, Ibrahim Masari, who had previously acted as a placeholder for the vice-presidential role, announced his resignation.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
