Declare Fridays Public Holidays, Establish Sharia Courts In South-West – MURIC Tells Constitution Review Panel
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called for constitutional amendments to declare Fridays as public holidays and establish Sharia courts across South-West states, including Edo, to address what it describes as systemic exclusion of Muslims in Nigeria’s legal and cultural framework.
The demands were presented by Dr. Jamiu Busari, representing MURIC’s Founder and Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, during the South-West Zonal Public Hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution in Ibadan.
MURIC argued that Nigeria’s recognition of Saturday and Sunday as official weekend days favors Christians and excludes Muslims, lacking religious balance. Akintola, through Busari, described the current weekend structure as a colonial legacy imposed by British authorities, which replaced the traditional Muslim weekend of Thursdays and Fridays. He claimed that Saturday was initially a half-day but was extended to a full day under Gen. Yakubu Gowon’s regime to accommodate the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
“Currently, Nigeria recognises Saturday and Sunday as weekends, both favouring Christians,” Akintola said. “We demand Friday be included as a recognised weekend day for Muslims to ensure fairness.”
Akintola highlighted an imbalance in Nigeria’s religion-related public holidays, noting that of the eight currently recognized, five—Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year, Good Friday, and Easter Monday—benefit Christians, while only three—Eid-Kabir, Eid Fitr, and Maulud—cater to Muslims. To address this disparity, MURIC urged the Senate to include the Islamic New Year as a national public holiday, pointing out that some states already observe it.
MURIC emphasized the absence of Sharia courts in South-West states, despite their significant Muslim populations, which Akintola argued contradicts the pre-colonial Yoruba experience. “No Sharia court currently exists in Southwestern Nigeria, where Muslims arguably form the majority,” he said. The group called for constitutional provisions mandating state governors to establish Sharia Courts of Appeal in all South-West states, including Edo, to handle Muslim-specific matters without affecting non-Muslims.
The group also demanded official recognition of Islamic (Nikkah) marriage certificates, criticizing the current framework that accepts only Christian marriages conducted in churches or registries for official purposes. “A religious group’s marriage is officially accepted while another’s is ignored—this must change,” Akintola said, highlighting the challenges Muslim couples face in formal settings due to this disparity.
The Deputy Senate President, Sen. Jubrin Barau, represented by Senate Leader Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, assured attendees that all submissions would be thoroughly reviewed and presented to the National Assembly for consideration. The hearing, part of the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution, aims to address various stakeholder concerns to enhance inclusivity and fairness in Nigeria’s legal framework.
