Sokoto cleric defies Sultan, holds Eid prayers

A Sokoto-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Musa Lukuwa, on Thursday led his followers in observing Eid al-Fitr prayers despite an official directive by Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III declaring Friday as the day for the celebration.

Lukuwa conducted the two-unit Eid prayer at his Mabera mosque in Sokoto around 9:10am, just hours after the Sultan announced that the Shawwal crescent moon had not been sighted anywhere in Nigeria, extending the Ramadan fast by one more day.

In a message shared on social media, the cleric defended his decision, citing confirmed reports of moon sightings in neighbouring Niger Republic.

According to him, the proximity of Niger Republic to parts of northern Nigeria makes such sightings credible.

“If we accept reports from cities like Kano or Lagos, which are even farther, there is no reason to reject confirmed sightings from a neighbouring country,” he said.

Lukuwa insisted that his action was guided by religious conviction rather than an attempt to challenge the Sultan’s authority.

“We usually follow the Sultan’s directive in starting and ending Ramadan. However, when it is clear that the moon has been sighted, we must act in accordance with the teachings of the Prophet,” he explained.

Providing historical context, the cleric referenced the era of Abubakar Mahmoud Gummi, when prominent scholars independently announced moon sightings before the process was centralised under the Sultan to ensure unity among Muslims.

He maintained that the Sultan’s position on this occasion was incorrect and said he had informed his followers around midnight, directing them to gather for Eid prayers on Thursday morning.

In Nigeria, the Sultan of Sokoto—who also serves as President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs—is the recognised authority for declaring the start and end of Ramadan based on verified moon sightings nationwide.

While his announcements are widely followed to promote unity, differences over moon sightings—especially when reports come from neighbouring countries—have occasionally led to varying observances among some clerics and communities, particularly in northern Nigeria.