There is palpable tension in Kaduna state following Governor Nasir El
Rufai’s desperations to secure a second term as he continues to polarize
the state along religious line, pitching Muslims against Muslims and
Muslims against Christians ahead of the March 9, 2019 Governorship
elections.
Aside nominating a Muslim as running mate to undermine the Southern
Kaduna, a predominantly Christian area, he has also entered an alliance
with the Izala Muslim Movement to undermine other Muslim groups
particularly the Darika Muslim Movement and the Shi’ites.
Kaduna State boast of a high population of Izala, Darika and Shi’ite
Muslim Movements. Elrufai has already fallen out of favor with the Shi’ite
Movement and not expected to secure their support.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that on January 2, 2019, Governor Elrufai
assembled leaders of the Izala Movement to seek for their support for his
second term ambition.
After the meeting with the Governor, the Izala Movement on February 5,
2019, wrote a letter to Elrufai listing conditions that would have to be
met before they support him.
In the letter obtained exclusively by Pointblanknews.com, the Izala
Movement requested Elrufai to stop further relationships with Darika
Muslims and stop Sheik Dahiru Bauchi, the leader of the Darika Movement,
from going to Kaduna to perform the annual Ramadan Tafsir at the Murtala
Square.
The leaders of the Izala Movement told Elrufai that Sheik Bauchi’s Ramadan
Tafsir sermon contains a lot of things outside of the Islamic religion.
The Izala movement also prevailed on the Kaduna Governor to use his
position and stop the annual Maulud procession throughout Kaduna state,
fund only Izala Movement Quranic recitation, deny all Christians and
non-practicing Muslims promotional rights in the Kaduna Civil Service.
They also demanded in the letter that Izala Movement be giving the sole
rights of determining anything about religion in Kaduna state while all
Imams in the state from Izala Movement be placed on monthly financial
supports.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that Governor Elrufai has agreed to all
the conditions spelt out in the letter from the Izala Movements.
The Izala Movement, in an appreciation of Elrufai’s approval to stop Sheik
Bauchi and the Darika Movement, agreed to use next Friday’s huduba
(sermon) to preach against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and its
Governorship Candidate.
The agreement was reached after a meeting with the Governor held March 3,
2019.
The letters were all written in Hausa Language. Pointblanknews.com Hausa
Language interpreter confirmed the contents of the letters.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that supporters of Elrufai are going
around saying a vote for the PDP’s Candidate, is a vote for the Zamani
Lekwot and the Southern Kaduna.
Spokesman of the Governor was not available to react to the allegations.
Izala Movement, formally Jama’at Izalat al Bid’a Wa Iqamat as Sunna
(Society of Removal of Innovation and Re-establishment of the Sunna), also
called JIBWIS, is a Salafi movement originally established in Northern
Nigeria to fight what it sees as the bid’a (innovation) practiced by the
Sufi brotherhoods. It is one of the largest Salafi societies in Nigeria.
The Darika Movement also known as The Sufi movement within Sunni Muslims
are from the Sufi orders such as the Tijjaniyyyah, Qadiryahhah, Isawiyyah.
They are regarded as peaceful and well organized and more accommodating
and tolerant of other religion and sects.
