Southwest Muslims Reject Invitation To Meet Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan’s proposal to meet tomorrow with a cross-section of Muslim leaders in the southwest at Ansarudeen Central Mosque, Ajao Surulere, Lagos State, has met a brick wall, with most of the religious figures indicating their reluctance to attend. A source close to Mr. Jonathan told SaharaReporters that, unless there was a miraculous change of heart, the meeting is unlikely to hold. It was gathered that former Minister of State for Defense, Musiliu Obanikoro, had arranged the meeting.

In a telephone conference, the secretary general of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Ishaq Oloyede, lauded the decision of Muslim leaders not to participate in a meeting designed to polarize and create disunity among Muslims across the geographical divide.

Northern Muslim leaders, including emirs, had earlier opposed a meeting of all Muslim leaders with Mr. Jonathan. Their objection had scuttled an earlier meeting the president had proposed with the entire Muslim leaders in the country. Two major Muslim leaders in the southwest disclosed that a meeting with Mr. Jonathan would be a betrayal of the general decision not to draw Muslim leaders in the country into partisan conflicts. 

The Muslim leaders also remarked that Mr. Jonathan’s alleged gift of N7 billion to the leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to encourage them to mobilize political support for the president’s re-election had left CAN in tatters. 

 

...SaharaReporters