By Ismail Auwal
Kano State Tijjaniya Shura Council has explained why it shunned Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s peace prayer session in the state.
In a statement, the council’s Secretary, Barrister Habibu Dan Almajiri, was shown in a video stating that the session was boycotted because it was not endorsed by the movement’s recognized leadership from both Morocco and Kaulaha.
“Any gathering aligned with the Tijjaniya movement must be approved by the grand leadership.”
He pointed out that they avoided the session not because they were opposed to it, but because attending would amount to violating their movement’s doctrines.
“If the sessions had not been aligned with the Tijaniyya movement, we would have attended. We’re always ready to attend any session that is meant for the Muslims ummah. However, our sect has strict doctrines which forbid even a discipline from visiting another Sheikh without expressed approval of his Sheikh. In this case, we didn’t get such approval from our leaders in Kaulaha. And anything related to Tijjaniya in Kano must be routed through Sheikh Ibrahim Nyass or his successors,” he explained.
Ganduje allegedly sponsored a Tijjaniya-led prayer session to clash with a similar event in Lokoja to be presided over by Muhammadu Sanusi II, the new leader of the movement in Nigeria and former Emir of Kano.
The session was allegedly organized to undermine Sanusi’s leadership of the movement and to sow discord among its ranks.
However, Sheikh Mahy Niasse, the Grand Khalifa of the Tijaniyya movement in the world, and other top leaders in Nigeria boycotted the zikr and prayer session sponsored by the Kano State Government at the Emir’s Palace, and endorsed the one that was presided over by Muhammadu Sanusi II.
