MUSLIMS have been admonished to approach politics from the position of strength as they push for more space in leadership and government.
This admonition was the thrust of a summit organised by the Ekiti State chapter of the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO) held recently in Ado Ekiti and which attracted Muslim scholars from within the state and across the country.
At the event, Muslims were encouraged to take active part in politics and showcase their talents and potentials rather than engage in seasonal lamentations.
Stakeholders at the summit also called on Muslims to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) and vote wisely in the forthcoming general election.
The chairman on the occasion, a former non-executive director of First Bank Plc, Alhaji Lateef Bakare, lamented that Muslims had faced persecution for a long time.
He urged Muslims to be good ambassadors of Islam at all times.
The NACOMYO coordinator in Ekiti State, Mudasiru Yusuf, also decried the long years of marginalisation of Muslims and called for the promotion of the cause of Islam and its adherents in the state.
The state governor, Biodun Oyebanji, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Investment, Trade and Industry, Mrs Adeola Omotayo, commended Muslims for their support for his administration and promised to fulfill his campaign promises.
The keynote speaker, a former national amir of the Muslims Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Nurudeen Asunogie, said: “It is my belief that this summit is an eloquent expression of the determination of the Ekiti Muslims to change the narrative.
“As Muslims, we must see the cosmic relevance of participation in governance. We need to be involved in the definition of true leadership. For we know as of truth that leadership cannot be atomistic. It must be marked by an aptitude to synthesise rather than disintegrate.”
The guest lecturer, Professor Afis Oladosu from the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Ibadan, urged Muslims to shun complacency.
According to him, a part of the charter of demands of Muslims in Yorubaland is the institutionalisation of equity and justice in the appointment of people into positions by ensuring balance between the two major religions in the country.
