ISLAMIC SINGERS, WASIU SADIQ, AHMED ALAWIYE BATTLE OVER LEADERSHIP…..BLAST EACH OTHER

Sequel to the crisis that followed the election of new leadership for the umbrella body of Islamic singers, Islamic Musicians Association of Nigeria (ISMAN), the membership of the association has been further polarized as top officials continue to trade diatribes in public.

At the center of the latest disgraceful actions is the national president of ISMAN, Alhaji Kayode Sodiq and Ahmed Alawiye, a younger but equally famous Islamic singer.

Alawiye who was obviously angered over the election of officials that did not go down well with him and others on her side, accused Alhaji Sodiq of being a bad influence in the association. Already, a new association has been formed out of ISMAN by Alawiye and his co-travellers like Ibrahim Labaeka, Mariam Aqiqi, Ashabi Omotayebi, Irinajo Eda, and others. The new group is called Professional Islamic Musicians Association of Nigerian (PISMAN).

While the crisis at ISMAN lasted, we gathered that, Sodiq described the duo of Barrymade and Alawiye as over ambitious singers who were bent on leading at all cost without having the quality of a leader. He had been quoted as having claimed that, Barrymade once described her kind of music as Fuji, yet she decided to run for the office of the Lagos State ISMAN’s Ameerah  (woman  leader), “a position meant for decent women”.

According to sources, Sodiq said that ISMAN allowed Barrytide to participate in the electoral process because “Islam is a religion of peace” but that, when it became obvious that she was losing, she walked out of the election venue. “A better candidate, Alhaja Aminat Babalola, won that election.”

The ISMAN president added that instead of following due process, “Barrymade, Alawiye and other disgruntled elements decided to float a parallel association”.  And “in as much as we will not stop them from forming any association, I know that they will not succeed.”Sadeeq continued on Barrytide; “how would a person whose dressing does not conform with the teachings of the holy Quran be elected to the position of an Almeerah? Barrytide is a disgrace to the entire womanhood, because her mode of dressings is worldly, she exposes her body at will”. Meanwhile, Alawiye has risen in defense of his group, PISMAN. In his word, “Wasiu Sodiq is the chief architect of the whole chaos within ISMAN. He’s corrupt and greedy. He is not worthy to be called a leader. You call yourself a president of the organization and ISMAN could not boast of one bus at the national level. All they do is squander the resources of the organization, yet you expect us to be loyal to you. He conspired to disorganise the election that would have been free and fair. Anyway, we have moved and we are going to succeed, In Sha Allah”.

On his part, Sodiq said that there was no going back on the ISMAN election. “The people have spoken and they have spoken well”.