The Yoruba Nation Self-Determination Movement has described the Sultan of Sokoto, Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III’s recent call for the imposition of Sharia law in Yoruba land as “disrespectful”.
The secessionist group stated this in a statement, signed by its leader Professor Banji Akintoye, arguing that no Islamic provisions mandate Yoruba Muslims to accept Sultan as their leader.
The statement also pointed out that the Sultan’s message alleges that Yoruba people are denying Yoruba Muslims their religious rights, which is described as “falsehood.”
The statement went on to advise the Fulani nation to reconsider their approach to religious and political matters in Nigeria, citing the dangers of their “born-to-rule” mentality and the need to respect other peoples. The statement reads in part: “We Yoruba people have read your statement that was sent to the public through the Deputy National Adviser of the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, Imam Haroun Eze, following the failed attempt to impose Sharia Courts on the Oyo and Ekiti States of the Yoruba people of the Nigerian Southwest. Since your spokesperson, Imam Haroun Eze, made your statement to the public, we also hereby make our response public.
“The Sultan’s spokesman chose to couch the Sultan’s statement to the Yoruba people as if the Sultan were an overlord of the Yoruba people. The statement said in effect that Yoruba people must accept Sharia as dictated by the Sultan. We have great respect for the Sultan as a traditional ruler, since our own traditional rulers, our Obas, are mightily important to our Yoruba nation.
“But because of the Sultan’s chosen approach in his message, we are reluctantly compelled to spell out our response in ways that truthfully uphold our Yoruba nation’s independence, integrity and dignity, leaving no doubt about what is our nation’s relationship with the Sultan.
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