Thread by @SienceTalk

#LestWeForgetNigeria:

“Given importance of constitutional stipulations..an ex A.G in Old Western State 🇳🇬 who later rose to be Sec-Gen of the Council, Dr. Lateef Adegbite, was appointed Chairman of Committee which drafted the Constitution of the apex Islamic body”@AbdulMahmud01

while fmr #Sultan of #Sokoto..then Sec-Gen of JNI, Ibrahim Dasuki was appointed Sec. The drafting exercise..in Ibadan..(witnessed) serious argument over office of President-General which the constitution reserves for Sultan of Sokoto believed to be descendant of Uthman Dan Fodio”

The Chairman was of opinion Southern Muslims w’d prefer an elective leadership while the Sec maintained the office sh’d be exclusive preserve of the Sultan.After several adjoumments & meetings, the Southern Muslims accepted Sultan of Sokoto…”

Sarkin Musulumi, shall be invited to assume the leadership of the Council as President-General. Such a provision appears to’ve logically taken care of a situation where there’s a Sultan not well disposed to Islam and the Muslims or not acceptable to Nigerian Muslim Community..”

The foundation President-General of the Council was therefore the then Sultan of Sokoto, late Sultan Siddiq I. All other principal offices of the Council were also reserved for the north.. as the Deputy President-General is constitutionally the Shehu of Borno.

Dasuki who later (became) Sultan of Sokoto was made Sec-Gen on..a request by Sultan who felt Alhaji Dasuki had been functioning as Sec-Gen in the north-based Jamatu-Nasril-Islam of which he was President-Gen & as such w’d not find any strain in working with him on the Council..

ex Min of Works Isa Kaita, also a northerner, (became) Natl Treasurer. That explains why Aminu Kano, a Northern Muslim politician, sought to know from the leaders of the Council the extent to which such distribution of leadership c’d be regarded as representative of🇳🇬ian Muslims”

The question he raised prompted a critical reconsideration as office of Natl Legal Adviser was quickly created for Dr. Lateef Adegbite, who himself chaired the Constitution Drafting Committee.”

This probably served as compensation/consolation for Southern Muslims from among whom ought to’ve emerged Dep. President-Gen & Sec-Gen,at least, to strike a balance btw the 2 regions more so that Southern Muslim was responsible for generation of idea of central Islamic body in🇳🇬”

Source:
“The Politics of Islamic Leadership & Representation in Nigeria: A Historical Analytical Study on the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) Saheed Ahmad Rufai

#LestWeForgetNigeria: @GbenroAdegbola @CitizenPeper @CACCOT1 @EmekaOkoye @cchukudebelu @NSCIAng

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