The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has rejected the proposed implementation of the Sharia Court in the Southwest region of Nigeria.
Speaking at the 18th Biennial Conference of the PFN in Abuja, PFN Vice President, Cosmos Ilechukwu, emphasized that Nigeria is a secular state and should not favor one religious system over another.
“Our position is that Nigeria is officially a secular state, which does not endorse any specific religion,” Ilechukwu stated. “It would be unfair for the government to lean towards recognizing or promoting one religious system at the expense of others.”
He warned that enforcing a singular religious legal system in a diverse country could lead to serious societal problems.
This statement comes amid rising debates over the establishment of Sharia Courts in the Southwest.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, who also serves as the President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), has expressed support for the initiative.
In a statement by NSCIA Deputy National Legal Adviser, Haroun Eze, the Sultan criticized the resistance to the establishment of an Independent Shariah Arbitration Panel. According to him, the panel is meant to resolve civil and marital disputes among consenting Muslims, especially in the absence of officially recognized Sharia Courts in the Southwest.
However, Ilechukwu strongly opposed the idea, warning that such a move could create religious tension and conflict in Nigeria. He reiterated that the country’s secular status must be upheld to maintain harmony among its multi-religious and multi-ethnic population.
