The group maintained that the governor’s endorsement by All Progressives Congress leadership in the state was against principle of rotational governance.

This was contained in a statement on Monday signed by MURIC Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, and titled, ‘LAGOS 2023: Don’t rob Peter to pay Paul – MURIC’.

According to Akintola, the group hinged its objection on the fact that Christians have had their two terms and it is the turn of Muslims to produce a governor by 2023.

The statement reads: “Leaders of the ruling party in Lagos, the All Progressives Congress (APC), last week endorsed the incumbent governor of the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for a second term in office for the 2023 gubernatorial election. Unfortunately this endorsement violated a long standing albeit unwritten rule on rotational governance between Christians and Muslims in Lagos State.

“It is on record that ex-Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, a Christian, spent four years in office and another Christian, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was brought in ostensibly to complete the Christians’ two terms which expires by May 2023 when a Muslim, ceteris paribus, is expected to take over the reins of office.

“That is why Muslims in Lagos State regard the recent endorsement given to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to run for the Christians’ third term as unfair, unjust and provocative. It may not be known in official circles but Lagos Muslims are grumbling and we have been under pressure for some time now to speak up. It is a dangerous dimension capable of eliciting protest bulk vote against the ruling party unless the issue is ironed out at a roundtable between leaders of the party, the Lagos State Government (LASG) and Lagos Muslims.

For the avoidance of doubts, MURIC has no intention of hijacking control of the Muslim community in the state. We always recognize established leadership structures wherever they exist and Lagos Muslims have that structure.

“The Muslim Community of Lagos State which is under the able leadership of Professor Tajudeen Gbadamosi is the appropriate body to meet for the purpose of negotiating with Lagos Muslims. All Islamic organisations in Lagos State are under this body. The onus is therefore on LASG and leaders of the ruling party to reach out to the Muslim Community of Lagos State.MURIC rejects exclusivism in matters of governance. Lagos Muslims are tax payers and key stakeholders in issues affecting the welfare of Lagos citizens. We must therefore be consulted on matters of governance.

We refuse to be blindfolded on the way to the polling booth. Neither shall we be satisfied just as voters, we must also be voted for. That is the essence of democracy. It must be participatory. The choice of candidates and leadership must not be lopsided in a democracy. Every segment of society must be consulted.

“We therefore fault the process that led to the emergence of the incumbent governor as the flagbearer of the ruling party in the coming gubernatorial election. 2023 belongs to Muslims in Lagos State. Any deviation from this must be properly negotiated.

“For instance, if the Christians are going to enjoy the luxury of a third term by giving Sanwo-Olu the mandate to run for a second term, an agreement must be reached with Lagos Muslims guaranteeing twelve years of Muslim rule after Governor Sanwo-Olu. Anything short of this tantamounts to an attempt to shortchange Muslims in the state.

“We must sit down and discuss this if the ruling party has any respect for Muslim voters in the state. We must recognise democracy as not only a game of numbers, but also as a game of negotiations particularly in a multi-cultural and multi-party state. We must remember that the peace and harmony being enjoyed in Lagos State today is a result of the pursuance of justice and equity. Nothing should be done to jeopardise this peaceful atmosphere.

The narratives have changed. Muslim leaders are no longer satisfied with crumbs from the table. Giving the Imams rams during festivals and sponsoring Muslims on hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) are deliberate means of enslavement and marginalization. Lagos Muslims are now fully aware of the gimmicks.Those periodic and ephemeral palliatives are tools of divide et impera. They are mere window-dressings designed to shield Muslims away from participating in government, from tangible employment for Muslim graduates and from real economic empowerment. We refuse to be fools satisfied. We will rather be enlightened citizens dissatisfied. It is our common patrimony. Don’t rob Peter to pay Paul.”

The group in a statement released by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola on Thursday, August 19, also said that these Boko Haram insurgents and ISWAP fighters who are surrendering should be resettled and trained invocations that can enable them to cater for themselves and their families in future.

The statement partly read “Boko Haram insurgents and ISWAP fighters who are surrendering should be resettled and trained invocations that can enable them to cater for themselves and their families in future. Quick and meaningful resettlement will encourage the remaining insurgents and fighters to embrace peace. MURIC also appeals to the civilian population in Borno to manifest a spirit of accommodation and integration of remorseful insurgents and fighters. We warn against stigmatization of any sort. Returning fighters should be treated like brothers newly found. What they need is our understanding, cooperation and kindness”

The body said the dates of the exam which commences on the 17th August,2020 clashes with Muslims’ Friday prayer.

Professor Ishaq Akintola, MURIC director in a statement on Monday accused WAEC of creating a fence between young Muslims and the mosque.

“There are at least three clashes between examination periods and Muslim prayers on Fridays: Management-in-Living (2 pm, Friday 14th August, 2020); Literature-in-English (2 pm, Friday 21st August); Health Science (1.30 pm, Friday, 4th September),” he noted

MURIC said the timetable is exclusive, sectional, parochial, insensitive and provocative.

It called the schedule an invitation to trouble, designed to cause pain to Muslim candidates.

“It is the handiwork of sadists and anarchists. It smirks of an anti-Muslim machinery oiled by the passion for hate and injustice. This is in spite of efforts made by us to guard against this kind of clash,” he added.

MURIC insisted that Muslim candidates must be given three hours every Friday.

Akintola added that Nigerian Muslims will emancipate themselves from slavery, serfdom and religious apartheid if government is nonchalant.

He, further, stated “Our message to WAEC is very clear and simple: Adjust your timetable and stop provoking Muslims forthwith.”

In a statement released by the group’s director Ishaq Akintola, Muslims in the country were asked to adhere to the restrictions on public assembly.
The group which pointed out that Saudi Arabia cancelled all Jumu‘ah prayers and also suspended Umrah for the first time in history, warned all faithfuls against being “more Muslim than Muhammad.”

The statement reads “In spite of government’s efforts at sensitizing the general public on the need to shun gatherings, many Muslims are still calling our office asking us to speak against the ban on public gatherings so that they could observe Jumu‘ah service. Let us make our position clear on this. MURIC will not support any Muslim group or individual found contravening the ban on public assembly because the ban is in the best interest of citizens. It is not targeted at any religious group. Saudi Arabia cancelled all Jumu‘ah prayers. It also suspended ‘Umrah. For the first time in history, nobody is performing tawaaf at the Haram. In Kuwait, adhan (call to prayer) has been changed from ‘Come for prayer’ (haya ala al-salat) to ‘Pray in your houses (soluu fii buyuutikunm). But here in Nigeria we still find a handful of Muslims who insist on conducting Jumu’ah service. Do we want to be more Muslim than Muhammad (peace be upon him)?
“MURIC warns against extremist propensities. We all can see where Boko Haram has taken us. It started from little excesses like this. Islam is a religion of moderation. It is dangerous phenomena like Corona Virus that the Glorious Qur’an warned us against when it said ‘Do not make your hands contribute to your own destruction, but do good for Allah loves those who do good (Wa laa tulquu biaydiikunm ila al-tahlukah, Qur’an 2:195). We Muslims must face reality. The manner of congregational salat inside the mosque has all the likelihoods of infection. We stand shoulder to shoulder and feet to feet. There must be no gap between a worshipper and the man standing next to him. On the contrary, health experts recommend at least one meter between persons in social interaction in order to prevent infection. MURIC urges all Muslims to see government’s instructions on Covid-19 as necessary and beneficial to them. It is therefore in their best interest to cooperate. Zuhr prayers should be offered at home in place of Jumu’ah. The same may be done with the five congregational prayers where the number of those in the mosque is more than 20. However, we strongly advise praying daily salat at home with members of the family as domestic jama’ah.”

In a statement released last night, MURIC president, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said the arrest
of Nathaniel Samuel after attempting to bomb the Sabon Tasha branch of Living Faith church aka Winners chapel, made mockery of the rally organized by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on the same day.

Read the statement “This arrest is the outcome of our prayers for Allah to expose all those who are behind the bombing of churches. We are not surprised that the suspect happens to be a Christian. We have said it on several occasions that there is a Christian version of Boko Haram. Christians bomb churches and the whole world blame Nigerian Muslims for the atrocity.
“The arrest of Nathaniel Samuel for attempting to bomb this church is not a new development. Victor Moses was arrested on 1st March, 2016 for spying for Boko Haram bombers. He confessed that he carried out surveillance before the bombing of Madalla church in Abuja on 25th December, 2011. It must be noted that for every single arrest there must have been several successful crimes committed. There is no doubt that there are many other Christians warming up somewhere to bomb churches and lay the blame on Muslims. We give kudos to the Kaduna Police Command for this feat. People blame the security agencies for no just cause sometimes. This arrest must have been the outcome of careful planning and prolonged surveillance. Those who handled the operation deserve promotion. But the arrest of a Christian attempting to bomb a church makes mockery of the rally organized by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). The rally was called ostensibly to protest against alleged rising insecurity in the country. But God works in wonderful ways. He exposed another plot by a fellow Christian to bomb a church on the same day that CAN called for the rally. The coincidence is equally divine and it gives the impression that the rally itself was nothing but a hocus pocus. CAN would have exploded immediately in its usual self-righteousness if Nathaniel Samuel had succeeded in bombing the church yesterday. A world press conference would have been held this morning to blame the killing on Muslims. Also, there would have been screaming headlines in newspapers across the country : Boko Haram Bombs Church Again: Hundreds Killed! White House would have called Aso Rock: Why are you killing Christians? This scenario is becoming too ridiculous. It is turning our country into a bundle of contradictions. We say enough is enough. This hypocrisy in articulated religiousity must stop. CAN nurses a false dogma of permanent insecurity, incompetence and persecution. But in reality, Nigeria today is much better than Nigeria in 2015 when the Buhari administration took over. Boko Haram that was controlling 17 local governments at that time has been reduced to a pack of hoodlums hitting and running. Nigerian soldiers who were running and hiding from the insurgents before are now putting the latter on the run. The fact that Boko Haram tactics have diminished to guerrilla warfare cements our hypothesis of a debilitated insurgency. Ditto for kidnappings and armed robbery. There is a gross reduction in the spate of crime but groups like CAN feed fat on misinformation. In a nutshell, MURIC calls on patriotic Nigerians to continue to pray for peace, political stability and economic prosperity. But above all, we call on the security agencies to step up their safety measures. Life is sacred and this country can only make progress in an atmosphere of security. Therefore, the security agencies must be alert to their responsibilities. We charge Nigerians to be extra-vigilant. Our enemies are in our midst.”

Recall that MURIC had described the abduction of nine Muslim children in Kano and their alleged conversion to Christianity as kidnapping for Christ, Daily Post reports.

Northern CAN, in its reaction, described MURIC’s statement as ‘reckless, irresponsible, derogatory and provocative utterances.’

However, in a statement signed by the group’s director, Professor Ishaq Akintola on Monday, MURIC maintained its earlier position on the matter, insisting that CAN should put its house in order.

The statement reads, “There is incontrovertible evidence that Muslim children have been kidnapped, converted to Christianity and sold into slavery. It is not the Kano 9 alone.

“There are others. There is also indubitable evidence to prove that it did not start yesterday. What is Northern CAN trying to tell us? They are chasing shadows.

“In our statement last Monday, we separated good Christians from bad ones. We also made it clear that we have both the good and the bad among Muslims too. Here are our exact words: ‘We are aware that not all Christians are involved in this criminal behavior.

“Many adherents of Christianity are decent and peace-loving. Such Christians will never descend so low as to seize, convert and sell Muslim children.

“Instead of joining hands with us to condemn the bad ones among us, Northern CAN is seeking to silence us. That is a tall dream. We advise Northern CAN to put its house in order and stop blaming MURIC.

“Afterall, we did not mention anything about kidnapping for Christ until the issue of Kano 9 occurred and the revelation has exposed other similar cases.

“We advise Northern CAN to launch a campaign of love and harmony in the churches. There is an urgent need to deradicalise Christian elements particularly in the Middle Belt region where Muslims are being killed and dumped inside mysterious ponds and narrow wells.

“The same advocacy should be taken to South Eastern Nigeria from where syndicates sponsor sleeper cells to Northern Nigeria to abduct, convert and sell Muslim children into slavery.

“Enough of denials and sentimentalities. Northern CAN should stop defending the indefensible. Its current body language is not remorseful. Your fellow Christians kidnapped Muslim children and converted them to Christianity.

“The Muslims complain but instead of consoling them and checking your members you are firing at the victims from all cylinders. We know you very well. This has always been your style. You never own up.

“We warn that Northern CAN should not drag Nigerian Christians into a controversy that involves only those who are in the dirty business of kidnapping Muslim children for conversion to Christianity.

“We hold Jesus (peace be upon him) in very high esteem and our statement was not intended to malign him. No true Muslim will do that.

“Extremist Christians can kidnap Muslims for Christ. That does not mean that Christ is involved. In fact Christ did not send them. They are only being more Christian than Christ himself.

“Jesus never taught men to be wicked. He taught love, kindness and righteousness. It is highly mischievous of Northern CAN to attempt to whip up sentiments over mere semantics.

“We find it difficult to believe CAN’s words, ‘No Christian has associated Muslims with such criminal acts. We only cry for our own who are victims’. Really?

“This is a false claim and Nigerians know better. What of all the allegations against us in the early days of Boko Haram attacks on churches?

“On a last note, we invite Northern CAN to put its house in order and join hands with the authorities in fishing out remaining sleeper cells for the kidnapping and conversion of Muslim children to Christianity.

“We can all coexist peacefully but we must first eschew parochialism and address issues objectively. We can change this atmosphere of mutual suspicion if only we can be sincere with ourselves.”