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Friday Sermon: Death: Preordained

Published

7 years ago

January 11, 2019

Eric

By Babatunde Jose

Who say, when afflicted with calamity:

“To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return”- Quran 2:156

The New Year started on a sweet and sour note. While millions welcomed the New Year with fun and jollification, the anticipation of many in welcoming the New Year with hope and joy at the prospects of a fresh beginning has taken a nosedive: Calamity upon calamity, woe upon woe. Deaths unforetold, disaster after disaster, sorrow, tears and blood. It is only the bereaveds that know the harrowing pain of losing loved ones. Some have lost parents, others children and some brothers, sisters and others good friends; including Aisha Lemu, 79, British-born Nigerian Islamic scholar. May Allah have mercy on us; Amin.

However, it must be said to those who are bereaved, whatever has befallen you was not meant to escape you, and whatever has escaped you was not meant to befall you: If this belief were to be firmly ingrained in our heart, then all hardship and difficulty would become ease and comfort. No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but is inscribed in the Book of Decrees — before We bring it into existence. (Qur’an 57: 22)

For this reason, do not feel overly troubled if you are afflicted with sickness, the death of a son, or a loss in wealth. Allah has decreed these matters to occur and the decisions are His, and His alone. When we truly to have this faith, we shall be rewarded well and our sins shall be atoned for. For those that are afflicted with disaster, glad tidings await them: So remain patient and hold on to your Lord, be steadfast in faith and know that: He cannot be questioned for His acts, but they will be questioned (for theirs). (Qur’an 21: 23)

There is no doubt Allah has pre-ordained all matters. The pen has dried and with it has been written everything that will happen to you. Therefore do not feel remorse over that which is not in your hands. We could not have prevented the fence from falling, nor the water from flowing, neither the wind from blowing, or the glass from breaking. We could not have prevented these things, whether we wanted to or not. All that has been preordained shall come to pass. (Qur’an 18: 29)

Having done our best to bring certain events about and they do not turn out the way we wished, and whatever we have been trying to prevent still take place we should have faith that it was meant to be. Like they say; whatever happens is not by our power or might, it’s by His Grace. ‘This is the decree of Allah, and what He wishes, He does.’ Verily, with every difficulty there is relief. (Qur’an 94: 6)

Therefore, just as eating must follow hunger, drinking follows thirst, sleep comes after restlessness, and health takes the place of sickness: The lost will eventually find their way; the one in difficulty will find relief, just as the day will follow the night. After storm comes calm and after darkness comes a glorious dawn: Storm of fate occurs suddenly and disturbs the man’s life for a while and then disappears. After the storm of fate disappears one feels a sigh of relief from the disturbances one has experienced. That’s why it is said that human life is a combination of joys, sorrows, happiness and tears. No same situation remains for a longer period or forever. Therefore, give to the afflicted tidings of a relief that will reach them and that will gladden their heart.

When a desert extends for miles and miles, definitely beyond that distance are green meadows with plentiful shade. When you see the rope tighten and tighten, know that it will eventually snap. Tears are followed by a smile, fear will be replaced by comfort, and anxiety is overthrown by serenity. When the fire was set for Prophet Abraham he did not feel its heat because of the help he received from his Lord.(Quran 21; 69) The sea would not drown Moses and the Israelites, because Moses had a strong faith:‘Nay, verily! With me is my Lord, He will guide me. (Quran 26: 62) The Prophet Muhammad (bpuh) told Abu Bakr in the cave that Allah was with them — then peace and tranquillity descended upon them.

Unfortunately, those that are slaves of the moment see only misery and wretchedness. This is because they look only at the wall and door of the room, whereas they should look beyond such barriers as are set before them.

Therefore do not be in despair; it is impossible for things to remain the same. The days and years rotate, the future is unseen, and every day Allah has matters to bring forth. You know it not, but it may be that Allah will afterwards bring some new thing to pass.

It is therefore with heavy heart but with complete submission to God that we offer condolences to our bereaved friends; Leke Oshunniyi who lost his 29 year old son in the United Kingdom and Abiodun Omole who lost his beloved son in California during the first week of January. It had been a tragic blow as it was never on the cards. May Allah wipe away their tears and give them the fortitude to bear the loss: “Therefore, do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day; for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)

And ‘Illegal’ too slept and did not wake. On Monday evening he felt like taking a short nap and it was his last nap. Illegal, our famed electrician on Olonode Street, Alagomeji, born Musibau earned his sobriquet from his famed illegal connections. An ever-busy electrician, he was buried on Tuesday morning. Who will now enter the roofs to join wires in our homes? A man of the people has gone. That is what this life is all about. We live today and tomorrow we are no more. Who knows for whom the bell tolls?

We are like chicken in the Lord’s vineyard and our lives and death are at his mercy. He is God the omnipotent; He turns night into day and day into night; He brings forth the living out of the dead, and brings the dead out of the living. His power is awesome and he only needs to say ‘Be’ and it becomes. No man can countermand His order. As soon as man is conceived his life is charted in the Book; and the day, time and manner of death is ordained. We have no power over it.

Therefore, who are we to predict what God will do or will not do? We take solace in Sura Baqara 155-157:Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere; who say, when afflicted with calamity: Inna Lillahi Wa Ina Ilehi Raji’un: “To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return”: (Quran 2:155-156)

Barka Juma’at and a Happy weekend

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Israeli Ambassador Accuses Iran of Spreading Terror, Sponsoring Extremist Activities in Nigeria

Published

1 hour ago

March 6, 2026

Eric

Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, has accused Iran of sponsoring extremist activities in Nigeria and other parts of the world, alleging that Tehran supports groups aimed at destabilising countries while pursuing its hostility against Israel.

Freeman made the remarks on Friday while speaking during an interview on The Morning Show on Arise News.

The envoy claimed that Iran is the only country within the United Nations that openly expresses a desire to destroy another sovereign state, referring to repeated threats against Israel.

According to him, the Iranian government has, over several decades, supported militant groups and terror organisations around the world in pursuit of that objective.

Freeman alleged that Iran has backed groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, adding that Tehran was also behind the October 7 attack carried out by Hamas against Israel.

He further claimed that Iranian activities aimed at spreading instability have been observed across several regions, including Europe, Australia, and parts of Africa.

Speaking specifically about Nigeria, the Israeli ambassador alleged that the Islamic Movement of Nigeria receives backing from the Iranian government.

According to Freeman, statements of support from Iran’s leadership, including posts by Ali Khamenei on social media, have openly indicated such ties.

He said: “The issue here is about Iran. Iran is the only country in the world, in the United Nations, who expressly desires to wipe another country off the face of the earth. Iran has stated its very policy is to destroy Israel. Is to wipe Israel off the map is to make sure they kill every single person and no regime, no country that has an express desire to destroy Israel, and it’s not only an expressed desire.

“We’ve seen over 47 years, they’ve taken all the actions they can in order for that to happen. We’ve seen them sponsor terror organizations. They were behind October the seventh massacre of Hamas. We’ve seen them sponsoring Hezbollah. We’ve seen them acting in Europe. We’ve seen them acting in Australia. We’ve seen them acting in Nigeria.

“We’ve seen these people acting all across the world in order to spread disturbance for them to try and carry out their aim of destroying Israel, and Israel will not allow another country to have nuclear weapons when they’ve expressly stated they want those weapons to destroy Israel”.

“I think that it is well documented. We know that there are certain movements, for example, the Islamic movement of Nigeria is sponsored and is backed by the Iranian regime. This is not me saying this, we’ve seen that documented by the Iranian regime.

The Supreme Leader posted on X his support and his backing there. So that’s very open. And there are other areas as well that Iran is working for, destabilizing, not only Nigeria, but all of West Africa.”

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Why Nigerians Must Reject INEC’s Revised Timetable – ADC

Published

6 days ago

February 28, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during the week, released a fresh elections timetable, with major amendments to accommodate the just passed and signed Electoral Act 2026 by the National Assembly and President Bola Tinubu respectively.

Following the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026, which introduced adjustments to statutory timelines governing pre-election and electoral activities, the Commission has reviewed and realigned the Schedule to ensure full compliance with the new legal framework.

Accordingly, the Commission has resolved as follows:

Presidential and National Assembly Elections will now hold on Saturday, 16th January 2027 as against the earlier stated February 20, 2027
Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections will now hold on Saturday, 6th February 2027 as against the former date of March 6, 2027

Also in accordance with the approved Schedule of Activities, the electoral bidy noted in the revised timetable that:

Conduct of Party Primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from primaries, will commence on 23rd April 2026 and end on 30th May 2026.

Presidential and National Assembly campaigns will commence on 19th August 2026.

Governorship and State Houses of Assembly campaigns will commence on 9th September 2026.

As provided by law, campaigns shall end 24 hours before Election Day. Political parties are strongly advised to adhere strictly to these timelines. The Commission will enforce compliance with the law.

But in a swift reaction, the opposition coalition, African Democratic Congress (ADC), rejected the revised 2026–2027 general election timetable, describing it as a politically biased schedule designed to favour the re-election agenda of President Bola Tinubu, and calling on all Nigerians to speak up enmasse to reject the revised timetable.

The ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Friday argued that the new deadlines and compliance requirements under the Electoral Act 2026 create near-impossible hurdles for opposition parties seeking to field candidates.

On February 13, INEC initially scheduled the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were fixed for March 6, 2027.

The timetable, however, faced objections from some Muslim stakeholders who noted that the dates coincided with the 2027 Ramadan period.

Following the concerns, the National Assembly amended Clause 28 of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, reducing the required election notice period from 360 to 300 days, allowing INEC to adjust the election dates.

Subsequently, INEC released a revised schedule on Thursday, signed by its Chairman, Joash Amupitan, moving the Presidential and National Assembly elections to January 16, 2027, and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections to February 6, 2027.

Reacting, the ADC said the requirement that political parties submit a comprehensive digital membership register by April 2, 2026, effectively bars opposition parties from participating.

The party stated: “The African Democratic Congress rejects the updated 2026–2027 electoral timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission. What has been presented as a routine administrative schedule of the upcoming general elections is, in fact, a political instrument carefully structured to narrow democratic space and strengthen the incumbent administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“According to the timetable, party primaries are to be conducted between April 23 and May 30, 2026, just 55 to 92 days from today. However, more significant is that, pursuant to Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026, political parties are required to submit their digital membership registers to INEC not later than April 2, 2026.

“That is only about 34 days away. Section 77(7) further provides that any party that fails to submit its membership register within the stipulated time shall not be eligible to field a candidate. These are not routine administrative rules but are deliberately constructed barriers designed to exclude the opposition from participating in the election.”

The party further noted that Section 77(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 requires the digital register of members to contain name, sex, date of birth, address, state, local government, ward, polling unit, National Identification Number (NIN) and photograph in both hard and soft copies, while Section 77(6) prohibits the use of any pre-existing register that does not contain the specified information. It warned that failure to meet these requirements would lead to disqualification.

The ADC questioned the fairness of the digital membership requirement, noting that the ruling All Progressives Congress began its registration process in February 2025, long before the requirement became mandatory.

“It is not a product of foresight but insider advantage. They knew what was coming. They therefore had one full year to carry out an exercise that other political parties are expected to complete in one month, during which they must collect, process, collate and transmit large volumes of digital data to INEC under the threat of exclusion. This is practically impossible.

“Democratic competition is based on a level playing field that does not give any contestant an undue advantage. A system where one party exploits incumbency to gain a one-year head start on a requirement that other parties only became aware of when it was nearly too late is a rigged system.”

The ADC said it has joined other opposition parties in rejecting the Electoral Act 2026, adding that the INEC timetable is equally rejected as it appears designed to serve what it described as a self-succession agenda.

“Let it be clear that ADC will not take any action that appears to confer legitimacy on a fraudulent system. We are reviewing our options and will make our position known in the coming days,” the party said.

The party also called on civil society organisations, democratic stakeholders and Nigerians to scrutinise the timetable and demand fairness, stressing that democracy cannot survive when electoral rules are structured to produce predetermined outcomes.

The party has consistently accused the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) of scheming to silence the opposition as the 2027 General Elections draw closer, citing his manipulation of state governors and Assembly members from jumping ship, and settling with the ruling party.

Presently, the president’s party has a total of 31 out of 36 states governors, more than majority of the national and states Houses of Assembly.

A frontline publisher and chieftain of the ADC, Chief Dele Momodu, has warned that Tinubu is gradually transforming into full-blown dictatorship, stressing that his second term in office would turn state governors into ‘total slaves’.

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Second Term for Tinubu Will Turn Governors into Total Slaves, Dele Momodu Warns

Published

6 days ago

February 28, 2026

Eric

Chairman, Ovation Media Group, and former presidential aspirant, Aare Dele Momodu, has expressed strong concern over what he described as growing political support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu among state governors across the country.

Speaking during an interview on News Central TV, Momodu said he was shocked by the level of backing the president is reportedly receiving, warning that Nigeria’s democracy could face serious risks if the current political trend continues.

The media entrepreneur cautioned that allowing Tinubu to secure a second term in 2027 could, in his view, lead to excessive concentration of power. He particularly criticized what he described as a growing wave of opposition figures aligning with the ruling All Progressives Congress> (APC).

Momodu referenced reports of opposition governors, including Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, allegedly moving closer to the ruling party, describing the development as politically troubling.

According to him, some governors are allegedly competing to demonstrate loyalty to the president ahead of future elections.

“The governors are fighting to ensure Tinubu wins a second term, fighting to be the biggest thug for him. If a man in his first term can capture the bodies and souls of Nigerians this way, imagine what he would do with a second term. It will be a full-blown dictatorship, and the governors will regret it as they become total slaves to him,” Momodu said.

He concluded by urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and actively protect democratic institutions, warning that unchecked consolidation of political power could threaten the nation’s democracy and future stability.

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