Former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, has strongly defended the institutionalization of Sharia law in Nigeria, insisting it does not discriminate against Christians and remains subordinate to the 1999 Constitution, during a tense and wide-ranging media interview.
The exchange, which featured sharp questioning and repeated push-back, focused on the impact of Sharia on religious freedom, constitutional supremacy and national cohesion.
Responding to concerns that Sharia has negatively affected Christians in parts of northern Nigeria, Shittu rejected allegations of discrimination, killings and coercion. He repeatedly challenged claims that Christians are forced into Sharia courts or targeted for violence.
“There is no evidence anywhere,” Shittu said, stressing that Nigeria continues to operate under the 1999 Constitution, which he described as supreme over any religious legal system.
When the interviewer cited reports of Christians being denied land for churches, compelled to appear before Sharia courts, or restricted by Hisbah police, Shittu dismissed the assertions as exaggerated and unsubstantiated.
“There is no evidence anywhere. We are operating the same 1999 Constitution as amended,” he said.
The former minister also rejected claims that Hisbah enforcement of Islamic moral codes—such as restrictions on alcohol consumption and social activities—amounts to intolerance.
“It is out of intolerance? Really?” he asked, insisting that Hisbah operates within constitutional limits.
Pressed directly on whether he would introduce Sharia if elected governor of Oyo State, Shittu said such a decision would depend on public demand.
“If the people ask for it,” he said, adding that the constitution allows Sharia courts to be established wherever demanded.
Shittu argued that Sharia remains necessary, particularly for personal and family law among Muslims. Using his own marriage as an example, he questioned the capacity of conventional courts to handle Islamic legal matters.
“I got married under Islamic law. If I want to divorce, where do I take the case to?” he asked, claiming many judges are “illiterate in Sharia law” when handling such cases.
He also dismissed the suggestion that Sharia lacks support among Yoruba Muslims, arguing that opposition often assumes the South-West is predominantly Christian.
“You are talking as if every Yoruba man is a Christian,” he said, noting the existence of Sharia panels in Lagos, Oyo, and Ekiti States, albeit largely non-governmental.
Drawing on history, Shittu cited Chief Obafemi Awolowo, arguing that policies widely viewed as secular had religious foundations.
“It was Obafemi Awolowo who introduced the Pilgrims Welfare Board. That is part of Sharia,” he said, accusing critics of opposing Sharia out of intolerance.
The former minister also addressed allegations linking him to controversial Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi, firmly denying ideological alignment.
“I didn’t bring him, and I don’t agree with him on his position,” Shittu said, explaining that he briefly attended a meeting of Muslim scholars focused on unity between the North and South-West.
He questioned why Gumi continues to receive police protection if he were truly guilty of terrorism-related offenses.
“If the government did not find him severely guilty and even gives him police escort, who am I to discriminate against Gumi?” he asked.
The exchange highlighted enduring national tensions around religion, law and governance, underscoring how debates over Sharia continue to provoke sharp divisions across Nigeria’s political and religious landscape.
