Kwankwaso’s comments and Imams solidarity visit

I listened to the Kwankwaso’s viral audio on the day. It was aired in one of the Kano’s FMs before it went viral. He has criticized unscrupulous Imams meddling into politics instead of concentrating on pulpits to preach the words of God and caution them to remain neutral and apolitical. Now less than a week […]

I listened to the Kwankwaso’s viral audio on the day. It was aired in one of the Kano’s FMs before it went viral. He has criticized unscrupulous Imams meddling into politics instead of concentrating on pulpits to preach the words of God and caution them to remain neutral and apolitical.

Now less than a week after the release of the audio, 100 ulamas led by Sheikh Daurawa paid him solidarity visit and reiterated their support for him. I have no problem with the visit but I have every problem with what was transpired as I watched in the video. Let me reproduce few highlights of the discussion as recorded.

The leader of the delegation, Sheikh Aminu Daurawa enumerated a myriad of Kwankwaso’s achievements in the state and how he (Kwankwaso) involved them (the Imams) in executing some key projects i.e. Auran Zauwarawa, renovation of Juma’at mosques, construction of blocks of class and rest room in their respective schools etc and how the Hisba board was re-energized under the former governor. The second speaker, Sheikh Sani Nazir (not very sure) was more frank on the purpose of the visit (endorsement) and narrated his futile effort to secure air time in one of radio stations in the state (I don’t know for what) and went further to pray for a party‘s victory at both state and national levels. The preface with the above prelude was for the benefit of those who were not opportune to listen the audio or watched the video.

Anybody familiar with politics of Kano and indeed Nigeria knows how our hitherto respected religious leaders have reduced themselves to puppets of politicians in their quest for worldly possessions. We have never seen the likes of late revered Sheikhs Isah Waziri, Nasiru Kabara or Abubakar Mahmoud Gumi endorsing any politician or a political party.

I was flabbergasted when one of the sheikhs lamented poor funding of Hisba Board and how approval files without fund’s release. So it’s all about pecuniary advantage. The Sheikh further alluded that the opposition of Kwankwasiyya by some of his colleagues was predicated on promise of juicy positions in Hisbah and Sharia commission. Is that how some of our ulamas relegated themselves to appointment seekers? Does that mean we have APC and PDP ulamas?

I could vividly remember an incidence that happened on the eve of 2003 election in one of the Juma’at mosque in Kano. As medical students we used to observe Juma’at prayer in the mosque opposite the teaching hospital. On that fateful Friday, Kwankwaso then a governor attended jumuat prayer in thesame mosque and the Imam vigorously prayed for his success in the election. As God has it, Kwankwaso lost the election and on Friday after the election, the-same imam shamelessly celebrated Kwankwaso’s defeat in the pulpit. What a double standard!

I tried cracking my brain to hazard a guess of those politic-bedraggled imams that Kwankwaso said he has their dossier as former governor and as their benefactor. It doesn’t take a rocket science to conclude that the man was referring to nobody but his August visitors. They are the people who worked directly or indirectly with him. They only rushed to pledge loyalty to dissociate themselves from their colleagues who were trying to open can of worms. I remember the wise-saying “those who live in glass house should not throw stones “.Many of them have been living in glass mansion.

The big question is why are our religious leaders become intimately enmeshed in partisan politics? What is at the center of the magnetic field that attracts our revered leaders to crocodile-ridden water of Nigerian politics? Is it not more honorable for anyone of them interested in active politics to contest for an office under a political party than trying to enter through the back door?

Islamization or Christianization or islamochristianization of political parties is not good for our democracy and will only add salt to our unhealed wound .Religious leaders supposed to be paragon of integrity and the fifth arm of government so that they checkmate leaders by preaching to them whenever they go astray.

Abdullahi Sadiq Mohammed, Kano