Yoruba Muslim Group Dismisses Viral Ramadan Date Claim, Reaffirms Sultan of Sokoto’s Authority

Yoruba Muslim Group Dismisses Viral Ramadan Date Claim, Reaffirms Sultan of Sokoto’s Authority

A Yoruba Muslim group, Concerned Indigenous Yoruba Muslims, has dismissed as false, misleading, and divisive a viral social media report alleging that the Chief Imam of Ibadanland and the League of Imams in Yorubaland rejected the authority of the Sultan of Sokoto in determining the commencement of Ramadan in South-West Nigeria.

The report, which circulated online ahead of Ramadan 1447AH, claimed that Yoruba Muslim leaders had resolved to disengage from the Sultan’s traditional role of announcing moon sighting for the fasting period and instead align with indigenous religious structures. The group, however, said the claim was entirely fabricated and designed to sow discord within the Muslim community.

In a statement issued on Saturday, February 21, 2026 — the fourth day of Ramadan, and signed by public affairs analyst Nasrudeen Abbas, the group said the comments attributed to the Chief Imam of Ibadan, reportedly over 90 years old, could not have emanated from him. It described the publication as a calculated attempt to create unnecessary religious tension and misrepresent the position of Yoruba Muslims.

The group reaffirmed that Islamic affairs in Nigeria operate under established leadership structures, particularly the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), which is headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, as President-General. It explained that the NSCIA structure includes the President of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) as Deputy President-General (South), the Shehu of Borno as Deputy President-General (North), alongside other national officers.

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According to the group, any attempt to distance Yoruba Muslims from this nationally recognised structure threatens the unity of the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria and contradicts Islamic principles that emphasise cohesion, collective leadership, and obedience to constituted authority.

The group also faulted claims that the Sultan’s position is merely a traditional title limited to Sokoto State. It stressed that the Sultan’s authority in Islamic matters is rooted in scholarship and the historical caliphate system, noting that emirs in Northern Nigeria often combine traditional authority with religious leadership. As an example, it cited Muhammadu Sanusi II, who regularly delivers Friday sermons and performs Islamic rites.

It further explained that in Yorubaland, traditional rulers generally do not head religious affairs, except in rare cases. The group referenced the late Awujale of Ijebu Land, who once served as President-General of the Ogun State Muslim Council, stressing that such roles remain exceptions rather than the norm.

The statement also recalled the position of the late Kazeem Yayi Akorede, former President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas in the South West. According to the group, Sheikh Akorede initially questioned the Sultan’s leadership role but later accepted it after clarifications that the position was based on Islamic scholarship and caliphate leadership, not mere traditional kingship. It added that until his death, he consistently aligned with the Sultan’s announcements on the commencement and termination of Ramadan.

Describing the viral publication as unethical, the group criticised claims that Yoruba Muslims are not religiously bound to the Sultan’s authority and that religious leadership should go beyond duties such as moon sighting announcements. It alleged that such narratives were politically motivated and aimed at advancing a separatist agenda under the guise of religious autonomy.

The group warned that politicising religious matters could undermine religious harmony and national unity, urging those behind the report to desist from actions capable of creating discord among Muslims across the country. It concluded by stressing that the unity of the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria remains paramount and must not be compromised by what it described as sectarian or politically engineered narratives.

Yoruba Muslim Group Dismisses Viral Ramadan Date Claim, Reaffirms Sultan of Sokoto’s Authority