Late prominent Kano-based Islamic preacher, Sheikh Jaafar Mahmud Adam, was one northerner who would never have supported the ambition of National Leader of the All Progressive Congress, Bola Tinubu, to be president of Nigeria.
During an explosive sermon before he was killed in 2007, Sheikh Adam had included Tinubu in his list of enemies of northern Muslims from the South West.
The APC leader had just declared his intention to run for president in 2023.
Advertisement
The cleric spoke about Tinubu while recounting how the outlawed Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) killed northerners residing in Lagos in early February 2002 during a 3-day violence.
Reports at the time said for three consecutive days OPC militia laid siege on the predominantly Hausa settlement at Idi-Araba and their trade posts at Lawanson, Itire and Onipanu areas of Lagos, killing and maiming any Hausa man, woman or child in sight, while also setting their houses and other properties worth millions of naira ablaze.
The violence led to the death of more than 50 people while over 200 sustained serious injuries.
Recounting the experience, Sheikh Adam said Tinubu, who was then governor of Lagos State, supported the alleged massacre of the northerners by refusing to stop the perpetrators. He also alleged that the APC chieftain was giving financial and logistic support to OPC at the time.
Delivering the sermon in Hausa, he said, “The governor of Lagos, Bola Tinubu, called for a peace treaty between the leaders of OPC, Hausa, Igbo, and the police.
“Everyone was present and signed the treaty except the OPC leader, who disagreed and refused to sign.
“The governor allowed him to go, and investigation showed that they were the sponsor of OPC with ammunition and fund.”
Others mentioned by the late Sheikh for various reasons include former President Olusegun Obasanjo, late Oyo State governor, Lam Adesina, late Afenifere leader, Abraham Adesanya and the late Bola Ige.
The highly revered Sheikh Adam was killed on April 13, 2007 by assassins who waited for him to finish the Muslim early Morning Prayer before shooting him dead.
The murder took place in the final days before the 2007 presidential elections, and many observers, including those at the U.S. embassy, thought that the murder was somehow related to the election.