Islamic Cleric Defies Sultan, Announces Another Eid al-Fitr Day in Nigeria
- Islamic cleric, Shekh Musa Ayyuba Lukuwa, has announced that he will lead Eid prayers on Thursday, March 19, 2026
- The cleric made this known during a sermon he gave on the night after His Holiness, the Sultan of Sokoto, announced Friday as the first day of Shawwal
- Sheikh Lukuwa took this position even though most of the clerics would follow the orders of the Sultan across Nigeria
Sheikh Musa Ayuba Lukuwa has ignited mixed reactions after announcing that he and his congregation have concluded the fast of the month of Ramadan on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
The cleric then announced that, as Ramadan was over, he would come out to offer Eid prayers on Thursday, March 19, and stop fasting.
Source: Facebook
Sheikh Lukuwa disclosed this in a video he posted on his Facebook page shortly after His Holiness, Sultan of Sokoto, announced that the moon had not been seen.
Sheikh Lukuwa explained that the fast of Ramadan 1447 ended after 29 days, so they will pray on Thursday.
The cleric explained that the moon sighting has been announced in Niger, a neigbouring country, and that Niger is closer to Nigeria than to Saudi Arabia and to Sokoto than to Lagos.
On Wednesday night, he said:
"We assure you that tomorrow (Thursday) we will pray for the feast of the feast and our fast will end, tomorrow, 1st of Shawwal."
Sheikh Lukuwa added that they are not opposed to the announcement of the moon of the Sultan of Sokoto because they are loyal to him.
Source: Facebook
He said they were only taken aback when the moon was seen but not announced, adding that they obeyed the leaders whenever the moon was said to have been seen.
Sheikh Lukuwa reacted to those who said that only the Emir of Muslims has the power to inform the nation whether the moon is visible or invisible, saying that it is not in the Shariah system.
Sighting of moon very difficult - Saudi admits
In an earlier report by Legit.ng, it was detailed that Saudi Arabian authorities have indicated that sighting the crescent marking the end of Ramadan may be difficult due to unfavourable weather conditions across key observatories.
Officials at Al-Hariq Observatory said visibility was poor, while Sudair Observatory also reported cloudy skies, both reducing the chances of spotting the Shawwal crescent.
Source: Facebook
"The weather is not clear at the moment, and the sighting of the Eid crescent may be difficult," Al-Hariq Observatory said.
UAE announces Eid Al-Fitr holiday dates
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that authorities in the United Arab Emirates announced the official Eid Al-Fitr holidays for public and private sector employees in 2026, setting out dates that depend on the length of the holy month of Ramadan.
According to Khaleej Times, the United Arab Emirates Federal Authority for Government Human Resources and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation confirmed that federal government employees will observe the Eid holiday from Thursday, March 19, through Sunday, March 22, 2026.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
