THE National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO) has expressed concern over the recent donation of seven hybrid buses by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN).
In a statement issued in Abuja and signed by NACOMYO’s National President, Alhaji Sani Suleiman Maigoro, and National Secretary-General, Alhaji Mas’ud Akintola, the organisation described the gesture as a deviation from the principles of fairness, inclusivity and national balance expected of the highest office in the land.
Meanwhile, the umbrella Muslim youth organisation will on Saturday, November 8, 2025, hold its political summit in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State.
On the First Lady’s donation to YOWICAN, NACOMYO acknowledged Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s prerogative to support youth initiatives, but viewed the gesture as a symbol of growing insensitivity and bias against Muslim youths.
According to the statement, the donation, coming from the office of the First Lady, a public institution sustained by national resources, raises constitutional, ethical and moral concerns about the selective nature of government-backed benevolence in a multi-religious society like Nigeria.
NACOMYO warned that the perception of favouritism toward a particular religious group, especially at a time when the nation is in dire need of unity and equitable leadership, undermines public confidence in government impartiality and fuels feelings of marginalisation among Muslim youths who have been partners in national development.
The organisation emphasised that, from an Islamic perspective, leadership must be anchored on justice, fairness and equity toward all citizens regardless of faith or background.
It noted that selective generosity contradicts the ethical principles of governance, which obligate leaders to act with trust and benevolence toward all citizens equally.
NACOMYO stressed that even symbolic offices such as that of the First Lady should embody universal justice and serve as unifying institutions rather than expressions of sectarian preference.
Expressing particular concern over what it described as the systematic sidelining of Muslim youths, NACOMYO said such acts of exclusion threaten social cohesion and deepen religious fault lines.
The organisation urged the First Lady to ensure her office remains a platform for inclusion and unity. It warned that singling out one religious group for high-profile gestures risks reinforcing division at a time when the country needs healing and trust-building among faith communities.
NACOMYO therefore called on Senator Oluremi Tinubu to extend similar support to the Muslim youth constituency in the spirit of fairness, justice and inclusivity.
The group also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio to uphold the principles of equity across all arms and offices of government.
Reaffirming its commitment to peaceful coexistence and moral leadership, NACOMYO pledged to continue speaking truth to power wherever fairness is compromised and the dignity of Nigerian Muslims is undermined.
Meanwhile, the organisation said the political summit, which is slated for Saturday, November 8, 2025, in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, will bring together Muslim leaders, youth and other stakeholders from across the country, and has as its theme: ‘Empowering Muslims for Sustainable Developments: Lessons from History, Realities of the Present, and Visions for Tomorrow’.
It will be chaired by former governor of Niger State, Umar Muhammad Bago, while the Ekiti State governor, Biodun Oyebanji, will serve as the chief host.
According to a separate statement signed by Alhaj Mas’ud Akintola, National Secretary-General of the Council, a frontline legal luminary, Prof. Yusuf Olaolu Ali, SAN, will deliver the keynote address at the event.
The summit, scheduled to hold at the Obafemi Awolowo Civic and Convention Centre, the statement said, will provide a platform for the discussion of critical issues and meaningful dialogue geared towards the advancement of Islam and the Ummah in Nigeria.