Paper long abstract:

The year 1999 marked Nigeria’s return to democratic rule and since then the country’s political arena has become vibrant and indeed dominated by issues of political importance. Some of these issues are the revival of Sharia, the debate over resource control, proliferation of political parties, the anti-corruption campaign, economic reforms, and ethno-religious conflicts, among others. Of all these, the issue of the Sharia legal system and the role of religion in Nigeria’s political development became more attractive to scholars and observers of Nigeria’s political scene.

This paper attempts to examine the major expressions of Islam in Nigeria’s political arena through the increasing involvement of the Ulama (Islamic scholars) and Muslim activists in the political development of the country. Specifically, the paper reviews the increased political activism of the Ulama in Nigeria’s political sphere since 1999, particularly in Kano State. It underscores the role played by the Ulama in the April 2007 elections, which revolved around mobilizing Muslim voters to participate in the electoral process to elect credible, honest and God-fearing people into elective positions. Thus, the paper draws attention to the fact that in some Muslim dominated States, like Kano, the Ulama are indeed becoming key players in Nigeria’s contemporary political arena.