A Sokoto-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Musa Lukuwa, on Thursday led his followers in observing Eid al-Fitr prayers, going against the directive of the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, who had declared Friday as the official Sallah day.
Lukuwa conducted the two-unit Eid prayer at his mosque in Mabera at about 9:10 a.m., after earlier addressing his followers on the issue of moon sighting.
The Sultan had announced that the Shawwal crescent moon was not sighted anywhere in Nigeria, a position that traditionally determines the end of Ramadan and the date for Eid celebrations.
However, Lukuwa justified his action by citing confirmed reports of moon sighting in neighbouring Niger Republic. He argued that the country’s proximity—about 100 kilometres away—made the reports credible.
“If we accept reports from cities like Kano or even Lagos, which are farther away, there is no reason to reject confirmed sightings from a neighbouring country,” he said.
The cleric maintained that his decision was based on religious conviction rather than defiance of authority, noting that while he often follows the Sultan’s directive, adherence to Islamic teachings takes precedence when there is clear evidence of moon sighting.
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He also referenced the era of the late Abubakar Mahmoud Gummi, when multiple clerics announced moon sightings before the process was centralised under the Sultan to promote unity.
Lukuwa insisted that the Sultan’s position in this instance was incorrect and directed his followers to proceed with Eid prayers, a move reportedly communicated to them around midnight.
The development marks yet another instance where the cleric and his followers have diverged from the Sultan’s official position on Eid celebrations.