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The National Council of Islamic Scholars has rejected claims attributed to the minister representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at a meeting with Islamic scholars in Jigawa State, saying the statement did not reflect the position of the scholars who attended the gathering.
The Council said its members were allegedly misled into attending the meeting after being informed that President Tinubu had requested their gathering to enable them present their message to him, similar to the engagement earlier held with Christian religious leaders in Abuja.
According to the Council, the scholars expected the meeting to provide an opportunity for them to directly communicate their concerns and recommendations to the President through a properly organised religious engagement.
However, the Council alleged that none of its representatives was given the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Islamic scholars during the meeting. It further claimed that journalists covering the event were instructed to leave the venue while discussions and preparations for the eventual statement were taking place.
The Council alleged that journalists were only allowed to return after the organisers had prepared the statement which was subsequently read by the minister. It therefore questioned the basis upon which the statement was presented as the position of the Islamic scholars.
Reacting to the development, the Council’s spokesperson reportedly challenged the authenticity of the minister’s account, saying that if the statement genuinely represented what the scholars had said, they would leave the matter to Allah to expose their secrets.
The spokesperson, however, prayed that if the statement was not truthful, Allah would expose the truth and hold those responsible accountable. The Council described the alleged incident as a serious injustice and expressed concern over what it considered an attempt to misrepresent the position of Islamic scholars.
The Council also said the minister had not responded to the allegations as of the time of its statement. It warned that it would continue to inform the public about the matter if further claims were made, adding that even if the minister remained silent, it might still disclose what it knows about the meeting.
The allegations have yet to be independently resolved, while the minister’s response is still awaited. The Council concluded by praying for divine intervention, justice and accountability, and called on Allah to expose the truth surrounding the disputed meeting.
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