- Former President Olusegun Obasanjo commented on the Sharia law debate in Nigeria.
- He stated that political interests, rather than religious factors, primarily drive the discussions around Sharia law.
- Obasanjo shared his insights during an interview reflecting on the Constituent Assembly’s controversial discussions regarding the issue.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that the debate over the adoption of Sharia law in some parts of Nigeria was influenced more by political interests than by religious considerations.
He made the remark during an interview, where he reflected on the discussions that took place at the Constituent Assembly when the issue of Sharia law generated widespread controversy.
Obasanjo recalled that the matter was a major point of contention while he served as military Head of State, attracting intense deliberations among delegates.
According to him, he once reached out to a northern elite to gain clearer insight into the arguments being made at the time.
“I was military head of state and Sharia became an issue in the Constituent Assembly. And I called somebody, one of the Northern elites, I said look, you people, Sharia Court of Appeal you won’t go there. You don’t take any of your issues there,” he said.
He explained that the response he received suggested that the controversy was not purely religious but politically motivated.
“He said yes but why are you doing this? He said politics… Politics, so what suits people politically?” he recalled.
Obasanjo further stated that his leadership philosophy has always been based on observing actions rather than relying on words or political rhetoric.
“So I don’t go by what people say or what they mean. I go by what they do,” he added.
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