MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC)
هيئة حقوق المسلمين
Motto: Dialogue, Not Violence
8th
January, 2026
PRESS RELEASE:
MURIC ENGAGES ATIKU: AS A
MUSLIM PRESIDENT, WHAT AWAITS MUSLIMS IN YOUR GOVERNMENT?
A
faith-based civil liberties organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC),
has engaged the former Vice President, 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples’
Democratic Party (PDP) and a leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The group revealed
that Nigeria since the colonial days had been structured along Christian
culture. It highlighted several civil rights which successive Nigerian
governments have denied Muslims and argued that many Muslim politicians and
leaders are either unaware of this predicament or easily pressured through
blackmail and harassment. It therefore wants to know if Alhaji Atiku Abubakar,
as a Muslim, is prepared to approach the issues clinically and objectively.
The
engagement came via an open medium of communication directly addressed to Alhaji
Atiku Abubakar on Thursday, 8th January, 2026 by the Executive
Director of the Muslim rights advocacy group, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
Details of
the engagement can be found below:
“Your
Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, As-Salaam Alaikunm
sir,
“We of the
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) celebrate you as the most resilient and highly
consistent politician in Nigeria today. You have fought for a cause in which
you strongly believe and have exhibited immense strength of character in its
pursuit over the years. Your efforts are monumental, laudable and cerebral.
Whether your critics like it or not, your name will be written in letters of
gold in the annals of Nigerian history.
“As a
Muslim steering his political ship towards the 2027 coast, we find it mandatory
to engage you in dialogue concerning the current plight of Nigerian Muslims and
their hopes and aspirations in a just, united and democratic Nigeria. The major
reason for taking this step is our discovery that the condition of Muslims has
remained the same under both Muslim and Christian leaders despite demands and
agitations.
“We note with great pain that many
Muslim politicians and leaders are either unaware of this predicament or they are
easily pressured through blackmail and harassment by those who seek to keep
Muslims in neocolonial administrative and economic bondage.
“Nigeria since the colonial days had
been structured along Christian culture. Several Allah-given civil liberties
are denied Muslims as Christian colonial heritage is hypothetically accepted as
the norm. Sadly, however, successive Nigerian governments, including those led
by Muslims, have also ignored the demands of Muslims.
“We do not
want Your Excellency to fall into this category because you have always been a
friend of MURIC. We strongly believe that even the past and present Muslim leaders
who ignored the plights of Muslims are not to blame because they are products
of an anti-Muslim system structured after Christian values in all aspects of
life.
“Though
Muslims by name, such Muslim leaders have been programmed to embrace Christian
ways of life and to reject anything else, including the Islamic norms which have
the capacity to set enslaved Muslims free. They have been conditioned to see such
ideas as extremist frivolities or, at best, possessing nuisance values only. Afterall,
people can only give what they have.
“The whole
issue revolves around the question of restructuring as it affects Nigerian
Muslims. That is the crux of the matter. We as a group will never ask any
Muslim leader to deprive Christians of their rights. What we are after is a
kind of restructuring that will give justice to both Muslims and Christians.
“Just as we
told His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi, a few days ago, our demands are
encapsulated in these three areas: proportionate representation, equal rights
and freedom of religion. There is no gainsaying the fact that Muslims have a
significant percentage of the Nigerian population. We also possess qualified
men and women, persons of pedigree and people of unquestionable integrity. We
will therefore expect adequate and meaningful inclusion in appointments.
“In the same vein, we wish to bring to
your attention certain issues bordering on equal rights and parity. These are
things that Nigerian Christians are enjoying but which are denied Muslims. Yet
Muslim leaders see such things as unworthy of attention. Examples are our
demand for the declaration of the first day of the Islamic new year as a public
holiday like 1st January of every year and the Friday Question. We
will like to know your position on these and such matters.
“We want to
know if, as a Muslim, you are prepared to approach the issues clinically and objectively.
You may choose to respond through the media as we have done. However, we are
open to invitation for dialogue if you so prefer.
“Please
accept, Your Excellency, the assurance of our highest esteem”.
#TalkToMuslims
#AtikuAbubakar2027
#MuslimDemands
Professor
Ishaq Akintola,
Founder/Executive
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).
