Ekiti State Government said on Thursday that the existing legal structure in the state does not recognise Shariah court or Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel.
The state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Dayo Apata, stated this in a statement on Thursday, in reaction to news reports about the first public sitting of Ekiti State Shariah Panel.
According to the reports, the Shariah panel resolved two marriage disputes last week.
The Sharia panel was quoted as saying it aimed to provide arbitration based on Islamic jurisprudence.
But Apata, in the Thursday statement, said laws in the state do not recognise Sharia court, stressing that the existing judicial structure is adequate to address all kinds of disputes.
Governor Biodun Oyebanji-led’s administration described the development as a plot by the opposition to score political points against him ahead of next year’s election.
The AG cautioned against activities that could negatively affect the state government’s policy of peaceful coexistence among residents.
The AG said, “There is an existing legal structure in Ekiti State (i.e. Customary Court, Customary Court of Appeal and High Court) that has been handling issues relating to Islamic, Christian and traditional marriages and inheritance without any rancour or agitation.
“The government will not compromise on any action that may hinder the prevailing peace and fester hostility in the state”.
The AG said the Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel was not in the judicial structure of the state, noting that “arbitration and/or mediation issue is a quasi-judicial matter, which is regulated by law” in the state.
Apata said, “The Sharia Courts in the North are equivalent to the Customary Courts in the southern part of Nigeria. Wherein appeals from Sharia Courts in the North go to the Shariah Court of Appeal, the state similarly has the Customary Court of Appeal that hears appeals from the Customary Courts.
“The Customary Courts and the Customary Court of Appeal can effectively take care of any customary issues arising from Yoruba traditional marriages, Islamic marriages and Christian marriages, especially the ones that were not backed-up by the statutory marriages which can only be dissolved by the states High Courts throughout Nigeria.”
According to the AG, the government is not unmindful of the fact the race for the 2026 governorship election is gathering momentum in Ekiti State and opposition members who cannot fault the performance of the state government have resorted to all sorts of unethical practices.
The AG advised religious leaders to “be wary of being used as tools by politicians and fifth columnists because the government will not hesitate to invoke the full weight of the law to protect the constitution of the federation and maintain peaceful co-existence in the state.”
The development in Ekiti comes about a month after the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria announced plans to inaugurate a Sharia court in the Oyo town of Oyo State.
The announcement generated a widespread outcry, following which the council postponed the Shariah Court inauguration indefinitely.
Addressing the issue, the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, said Shariah Court would only be allowed in the state if it was consistent with the provisions of the Constitution.
“About the establishment of Sharia court in Oyo town, people may try, but for us, I swore to uphold our laws and the Constitution of Nigeria.
“If their actions are within the law, fine, if not they should expect that I will insist the law must be followed,” Makinde said.
