The President General of the League of Imams and Alfas, South West, Edo/Delta, Sheikh Jamiu Kewulere Bello, who went straight into prayers along other Yoruba Imams, Alfas and Islamic groups the moment the news broke out of Governor Ahmad Aliyu’s plot to whittle the powers of the Sultan of Sokoto and Leader of the Muslim Ummah, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has now come to speak on the development.
He said the Sultan has been so careful and guard himself against any involvement in politics as, according to the Yoruba Land, Edo and Delta Imams and Alfas Leader, Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar stays away from it because he does not want anything that bring untold embarrassment to him, his faith in the Almighty Allah as leader of Muslims in Nigeria and the Muslim Ummah he leads.
In the world of Sheikh Jamiu Kewulere Bello, “This is a very serious matter where you have a Governor Ahmodu Aliyu, who should be proud that he is opportune to be Governor of a state that is so revered as Islamic faith headquarters in Nigeria and so take advantage of that to do great good work and behave well towards the Sultan, his own king that is much more revered all over Nigeria, Africa and worldwide, but chose to not only show disrespect to him but even intends to dismantle the institutions that he leads.
“A governor that wants to live long under the mercy of Almighty Allah will see the importance of the Sultan beyond Sokoto State and, therefore, guard the leader of the Islamic faith in the country jealously, protect and project him well against allowing himself to be more interested in political gains – which will not follow him for long in the life of this world talk less of following him into the grave and before Allah except that it adds to reasons his questioning by his Lord can be more tense – than in Islam, peace and unity of the Ummah.
“Alas! Instead of doing good work and showing respect and high regards towards toward the Sultan, the Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio throne he occupies and the 150 million-member Muslim Ummah of Nigeria that the Sultan leads, Governor Aliyu, a Sokoto Muslim that many are looking up to and who should not himself be an onlooker, has decided not only to wage war against the Sultan of Sokoto because he and whoever is backing him think he should go their own way even if it is against the sanctity of the positions that represents as our leader in Nigeria, but also wage war against Islam. This makes the matter a very serious one.”
Speaking further, the President General League of Imams and Alfas, South West, Edo/Delta, voiced the resolve of his body of Islamic clerics by saying, “There is no one we can seek for protection and victory over this matter other than Allah. The moment this matter of Sultan of Sokoto happened, we immediate went into fervent prayers here in Ekiti for him as a leader we love and who loves us too. We cannot be told before we know our duty towards him especially at this time.
“I have called all my members from across the 16 Ekiti State Local Government Areas and we have sat in prayers twice asking for Allah’s mercy for Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar over this unfortunate incident that is coming up, unfortunately, from within the same state he should be more jealously guarded, protected and respected and it is the governor and whoever is backing him that is are involved. It, therefore, shows to me that the governor does not know the global worth of the Sultan his state is opportune to host and have as their royal father but we all over Nigeria and beyond value and cherish him a lot and we have been praying for him to overcome the challenges he and his backer are putting us through by this sad disrespect they are ‘joyfully’ showing to the Sultan. It is sacrilege. Ti won ba ran ni nise eru, a nfi ti omo jee ni (a Yoruba parlance meaning, if you are sent on an errand with a message that is difficult laden with adverse effect so much dangers, we use our discretion to land well and safely delivering the message).
“This type of Sultan is not one of those that any society can wish to be removed from relevance at any time. He is a real, great and very useful personality, very loving towards people, very accommodating and accepts all Islamic faithful as his brothers and sisters, both in North and South, he takes and treats all of us as one united Muslim brotherhood in one united Muslim Ummah and in one united Nation, Nigeria.
“As a result of this, we cannot wait until we are told what to do before we know our duty towards him especially at this time because, we know that all the plots against him will come to naught by the grace of Almighty Allah. Whatever it is that is contained and whoever it is that is involved in the plot they are plotting to destroy our Ummah through their decision to tamper with the sanctity of our leadership, Allah will use same weapons of them to render them useless.
“I am saying this because I am very confident to say that if It is about people running away or trying hard to avoid and guard themselves against partisan politics, Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar is such a person because he avoids anything that is politics especially as partisan as it is being played now in Nigeria. Sultan makes sure that he has nothing that would bring him close to playing politics.
“You can approach him for all kinds of help but if you go to this Sultan for help on political matters, asking him to help you to succeed in your political project, he will tell you that he does not understand what you are saying. He will say that all things that can bring embarrassment, disrespect and difficulty to Islam and his faith in Allah as religious and traditional ruler, he is not ready to embark on it.
“By this fact that I can confirm, we all believe that this Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, is well trained person from a good, great home full of integrity. He is a person because of whom we can launch into prayers and fasting, that is to tell the extent of his goodness and integrity that I have observed and have seen and it is on this basis we can do anything to protect him and so we are here seriously engaged in prayers, beseeching Allah to make him prevail over all kinds of plots against him and the Muslim Ummah of Nigeria under his leadership.
“And we are doing these prayers here with all the Council for Islamic Affairs members because we know that this is the best thing we can do to help him and we are very confident in our Lord, Allah, that Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad son of Sultan As-Siddique Abubakar and all of us behind him will overcome these challenges insha Allah. Wainajundanalahumulighalibuuna,” Sheikh Kewulere Bello prayed expressing confidence that this time will pass away and that it will pass away for good.
Signed:
Sheikh Jamiu Kewulere Bello,
President General, League of Imams and Alfas, South West, Edo/Delta.
Sunday June 30, 2024.
