Polls: Muslim Council secretary resigns, says organisation politicized

From Umar Dankano, Yola

The Adamawa State Muslim Council is being accused of endorsing incumbent Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri against other gubernatorial candidates in the state.
The alleged endorsement said to be by the council of Governor Fintiri for the 2023 Gubernatorial elections has caused disaffection and disagreement in the organization.
Expressing his dissatisfaction with such development, Secretary of the Muslim Council, Michika Local Government branch Alhaji Abdulrahman Maina Yaji, Mutawallin Michika resigned his position lamenting that his action was due to politicization of the faith-based organization by its State leadership.
According to the resignation letter dated 7th March 2023, addressed to the State Chairman Muslim Council and made available to the media in Yola weekend, Yaji alleged that, the leadership of the Council has pinched their support to Governor Fintiri,the PDP governorship candidate, thereby derailing from its constitutional obligations of been a father umpire to all shades of opinions.
He described the organization’s state leadership action as “selfish, self serving, and greedy.
“The selfish and partisan activities of the Adamawa state leadership of Muslim Council, has seriously become a source of embarrassing jokers with concern to the well-meaning Muslim Ummah of Adamawa state who are deceived by the leadership of the Council.
“An organization that is supposed to be apolitical, but unfortunately they became supporters and form a campaign team for the ruling PDP championing for the re-election of Fintiri, is rather embarrassing and dragging the name of the council to the mud.
“This, they exhibited by touring all the 21 Local Governments in Adamawa state, meeting with the local branches to inform them that the council has endorsed Fintiri and that Muslim Ummah are directed through the local branches to inform and mobilize the Muslim Ummah to vote for PDP/Fintiri, just because their hands were greased.
“As the Secretary of Muslim Council Michika Branch, I resolved to put my resignation from the position,” Yaji pointed.
Reacting to the development,an official of the Council who pleaded for anonymity said Yaji was out for his selfish reasons.
The source stated that the council wouldn’t want to join issues with Yaji over his calculative attack just to achieve political attention and patronage from his paymaster, insisting that the council did nothing wrong.
He further denied any endorsement of any governorship candidates rather accommodating all candidates who seek audience for political engagements including campaign.