Obasanjo has chosen a Muslim academic to chair a committee supervising a key political reform conference.

By Khedr Abdel Baki, IOL Correspondent

KANO, March 13, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Reflecting the increasing political clout of Muslims in the west African country, the Nigerian federal government has named a prominent Muslim academic to chair a committee supervising a key political reform conference.

Ishaq Oloyede, a professor of Arabic and Islamic studies, University of Ibadan (UI), will serve as secretary general of the committee overseeing the National Political Reform Conference (NPRC), the Nigerian television said on Saturday, March 12.

The announcement came one day after a meeting between Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and a high-level delegation of Muslim leaders.

The delegation comprised the emirs of the northern states as well as members of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs under Muhammed Maccido, the Sultan of Sokoto.

Objections

Nigeria's Muslims had objected to their low representation in the conference supervising committee, formed on February 21.

Christians made up 70 percent of the 20-member committee.

Nigerian Muslims pressed for the post of the committee chairman or secretary general.

They also want more Muslim delegates to the 382-member NPRC and not just the current number which stands at 165.

Nigeria’s recent census shows that Muslims make up 55 percent of the country’s 133 populations, Christians 40 percent and five percent atheists.

However, other estimates indicated that Muslims make up some 65 percent of the country.

Twelve of Nigeria’s 36 states have gradually applied the provisions of Shari`ah since the return of democracy to the country in 1999, despite the fierce opposition from the federal government.

Secret Agenda

Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the body of northern elders, warned on March 8 of religious crisis if the federal government failed to reverse the representation ratio in the NPRC.

In a statement, ACF underlined that by making imbalanced appointments to the NPRC, the government risks fanning sectarian antagonism.

It maintained that the appointments were “in defiance of the constitutional requirement for quota and balance”.

“The fact that Obasanjo had gone ahead to make these appointments in deliberate and total disregard of the religious controversy he would thus ignite, may be seen as a manifestation of a desperate intent to actualize a hidden agenda,” the group charged.

The statement, however, appealed to Nigerian Muslims to be law abiding, calm and not to engage in any form of violence.

The NCPR is held in response to pressures from the national and political powers in the country to review the political system in the giant African country.

A host of issues are being discussed by the conference, including the federal constitution, more separation between the executive and legislative powers and corruption.

The results of the conference will be put to parliament -- or perhaps to a national referendum if some activists get their way -- and may lead to amending the 1999 constitution.