Drama as Kano Council of Ulama replaces Khalil with Pakistan over ‘political’ reasons

The Kano State Council of Ulama on Monday announced the suspension of a renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil and replaced him with Professor Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan as acting chairman.

The council accused Khalil of politicising its affairs and using it for personal gain.

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The scholars, from the three main sects of Tijjaniyyah, Kadiriyya and Izala, announced the position at a press briefing in Kano.

Until his appointment, Professor Pakistan is the Kano State Chairman of Jama’atul Izalatul Bid’ah Wa’ikamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS) and Executive Secretary of Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board.

Speaking on behalf of the Ulamas, the Secretary of the Council, Imam Jamilu Abubakar said they took the decision unanimously after consulting clerics from different sects in the state.

He said, “Sheikh Khalil has been fighting all governments in Kano State right from Shekarau administration, down to Kwankwaso and even the incumbent Ganduje, because they denied him his political ambition of contesting for political position, thereby denying the council and the government from enjoying mutual benefit.

“He also refused to expand the council to local government level, as well as being unfair to the sects of Tijjaniyyah, Izalah, Qadiriyyah and even Muslims without sects in the state.

“He has also been holding political functions in the council secretariat, aside making the council dormant without issuing any Fatwa as the council should be doing.

“Also, some of the Fatwas he has been giving are not compatible with the Maliki Islamic School of Thought, which most of the sects are following, some are not even in any of the three other schools.

“As a result of these, and many other issues, this council has suspended Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil from its leadership and immediately replaced him with Professor Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan in acting capacity, while other leadership structure of the council still stands,” Imam Abubakar added.

‘We were not consulted’

However, immediately after the conference, some of the clerics at the venue raised alarm that they were not consulted about the development before calling them from their respective areas.

“We are not aware of this, we were not consulted. How can you accept or reject when you are not part of it,” enquired Ustaz Aliyu Bello, a cleric from Kiru Local Government.

Possible reasons of the suspension

In June, 2018, barely one month after the release of the controversial Dollar videos, Khalil resigned from his position as Special Adviser to Governor Ganduje on Special Duties, and has since then not seen to be in good terms with the present administration.

On the other hand, the newly declared acting chairman, Pakistan, is aside presently holding position in Ganduje administration also in its good books.

The clerics, however, said government has no hand it and is not even aware of it.

Asked whether they have ever called Sheik Khalil to all the labeled allegations against him, Imam Abubakar said, “We have called him times without number about these issues, issued him queries but refused to respond to any.”

Our efforts to hear from Sheik Khalil, however, proved abortive as he had not picked the calls put across to him and the text sent to him by our correspondent as at the time of filing this report.

Daily Trust reports that Council of Ulama is seen as the apex religious body in Kano State comprising of Islamic clerics from different sects under one umbrella.