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By Oluseye Ojo
President Bola Tinubu, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, are among the prominent dignitaries expected in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Sunday for the 11th General Assembly of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN).
The Sultan will attend as Special Guest of Honour, while Zulum is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the assembly, which is holding at the University of Ibadan Mosque Auditorium.
Governors of the six South-West states are also expected at the gathering, which will feature a leadership transition following the completion of the six-year tenure of MUSWEN President, Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo.
Oladejo disclosed this on Thursday at a press conference in Ibadan, announcing Alhaji Rafiu Adisa Ebiti as his successor, with Alhaji Thabit Wale Sonaike and Alhaji Jamiu Ekungba as Deputy Presidents I and II respectively.
He said the Central Working Committee had approved the recommendations of the Shura Committee on the new leadership, urging Muslim communities across the South-West to support the incoming administration.
Giving an account of his stewardship, Oladejo disclosed that MUSWEN’s Endowment Fund had grown to N437 million as of 21 October 2026, expressing confidence that the incoming administration would increase it to N1 billion.
He also announced that the organisation recorded a surplus of N52.963 million in 2025, compared with N44.443 million in 2024, representing an increase of about 19 per cent.
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According to him, the audited financial statements for 2025 would be presented at Sunday’s assembly.
On national solidarity, Oladejo recalled that MUSWEN raised N50 million to support victims of the devastating 2024 flood in Borno State. The donation, coordinated by Alhaji Fola Adeola, was presented to the state’s Deputy Governor.
He also disclosed that MUSWEN’s Mediation and Reconciliation Committee had intervened in religious leadership disputes in Osun, Ondo and Lagos states, including the crisis that kept the Ikare-Akoko Central Mosque closed for more than three years. He commended Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State for directing its reopening.
On education, Oladejo announced that 12 female medical students, two from each of the six South-West states, would receive scholarships under the Sultan Abubakar Female Medical Student Scholarship Scheme at the assembly.
MUSWEN also plans to award 120 bursaries in 2027, with a long-term target of 600 annually.
The outgoing president urged Muslims to participate actively in the 2027 general elections and to vote for candidates committed to justice, fairness and compassionate leadership.
MUSWEN is the umbrella organisation for Muslims in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states and a principal constituent of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.
