Sanwo-Olu, Olusi back MUSWEN assembly as group plans leadership handover

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Prince Tajudeen Olusi, who chairs the state's Governor's Advisory Council (GAC), have thrown their weight behind the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) ahead of its 11th General Assembly.

The group's president, Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo, led a delegation to both men in separate visits to drum up support for the gathering, scheduled for Sunday, November 15, 2026, at the University of Ibadan Central Mosque Hall in Oyo State.

Both leaders praised MUSWEN for its work in bringing Muslims and Christians together and in keeping the peace across the South-West.

What the two leaders promised

At Lagos House, Marina, Sanwo-Olu said his government would send a strong team to the assembly. He also backed MUSWEN's plan to set up an endowment fund meant to give the organisation steady money for its programmes.

On the request to revive the Lagos chapter of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), the joint Muslim-Christian body, the governor said the platform is already running in the state with his administration's backing.

Sanwo-Olu also asked MUSWEN to support President Bola Tinubu's bid for a second term and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the 2027 general elections.

Earlier, the delegation met Olusi at his Ebute Metta office. The GAC chairman, who recently turned 90, urged Muslims to dig deeper into Islamic learning, especially the Qur'an and Hadith, and told scholars to lead the way in helping people understand the faith.

He argued that Prophet Muhammad was both a spiritual and political leader, and that Muslims should therefore take a keener interest in politics rather than stay away. He also asked MUSWEN to hold special prayers for peaceful and credible elections.

Leadership change and endowment fund

Oladejo said the assembly will draw delegates from across the South-West, including Islamic scholars and community leaders, to review the group's work and set its direction.

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar, will attend as chief guest of honour, he said.

A key moment will be the handover of leadership to the current Deputy President I, Alhaji Rafiu Adisa Ebiti.

The planned endowment fund, according to Oladejo, would pay for Islamic education, youth development, welfare for the vulnerable, training for imams and scholars, and the group's institutional growth.

He also wished Olusi well on his 90th birthday.

What happens next: The assembly holds on November 15 in Ibadan, where the leadership change and fund plans are expected to be formally endorsed.