The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Sokoto State Chapter, has criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its decision to fix the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections for Saturday, February 21, 2026, a date that coincided with the holy month of Ramadan.
Speaking on the development, the Chairman of MURIC in Sokoto State, Dr. Muhammad Mansur Aliyu, Esq., described the decision as insensitive, exclusionary and discriminatory against Muslims, particularly residents of the FCT.
He explained that Ramadan is a sacred period marked by fasting from dawn to sunset, increased prayers and other religious obligations, noting that participation in a full-day electoral exercise during the period would impose undue hardship on Muslim voters, candidates, ad hoc staff and security personnel.
Dr. Mansur stressed that Nigeria is a multi-religious and pluralistic society where public institutions are constitutionally expected to operate with fairness and neutrality. He argued that just as major elections are rarely scheduled on Christmas Day or other significant Christian festivals, fixing elections in the heart of Ramadan amounts to unjust treatment of Muslims.
The organisation further expressed concern that the decision reinforces existing perceptions of institutional bias within INEC, warning that repeated actions perceived as lacking religious sensitivity continue to erode public trust.
MURIC called on INEC to urgently review and shift the election date to a period outside Ramadan. It also urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to intervene to prevent avoidable religious tension, while appealing to civil society organisations and religious leaders to stand up for fairness, inclusion and national unity.
The group maintained that democracy cannot thrive where any religious group is marginalised, insisting that elections conducted under conditions that disadvantage Muslims cannot be considered free, fair or credible.
