The Kano Ulama (Islamic Clerics) have impeached the leader of the Kano State Council of Ulama, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, with some of the clerics present during the announcement expressing dissatisfaction with the action.
Addressing newsmen on Monday in Kano, a coalition of the various Muslim sects that include Izala, Tijjaniyya and Kadiriyya, lead by Ustaz Saifullah Adam Assudani said that the chairman of the State Council of Ulama was impeached for being political in running the affairs of the council.
The coalition also announced the appointment of Professor Saleh Pakistan, who is also the chairman of the Kano Pilgrims Welfare Commission, as the new chairman of the council.
Some of the reasons they gave for impeaching the leader among others include “turning the council into a political platform by engaging in a face-off with every government that comes into power that includes former governors Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and of recent, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.
“His reasons in all the cases were that they disallowed him to contest political offices in his position as a cleric, a situation that has led to the council not benefiting from the government and the government not benefitting from the elderly advises of the council.”
They also cited “lack of fairness to all the religious groups in the state who do not have any stake in the council, that include Tijjaniyya, Qadiriyya, Izala and other clerics from religious sects not mentioned here.
“Members are complaining of being kept in the dark about happenings in the council” the Ulama stated among others.
Responding to the announcement, an Islamic cleric from the Tijjaniyya sect in Kiru Local Government, Sheikh Sulaiman Bello Kiru, lamented over the removal of the Council’s leader saying it is not fair and has political reasons.
“We are not part of this decision and it looks more political. We were only called upon to come and attend the press conference from where we heard the announcement that Sheikh Khalil has been impeached.
We were not consulted and are not aware of anything. The body has no constitution, no tenure for the leadership and is being politicized,” he stated.
Meanwhile, there has not been any response from the impeached leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil while the Ulama appear to be split into factions.
