The Administrator of the Coalition for Islamic Humanitarian Organizations Ghana (CIHOG), Sulemama Alhassan Atakpo, has called for an urgent dialogue among stakeholders of Ahlussunna Wal Jama’a (ASWAJ) to resolve an emerging leadership dispute within the Muslim community.
Mr Atakpo said recent announcements attributed to Sheikh Umar Ibrahim Imam and Sheikh Salman Mohammed Alhassan concerning the appointment of acting Deputy National Imams and other officials raised questions about compliance with the ASWAJ Constitution.
In a statement issued in Accra on September 16, 2026, he said the matter required clarification from the appropriate constitutional organs of ASWAJ to prevent the emergence of competing leadership structures.
Mr Atakpo, who described himself as a born-and-raised member of Ahlussunna Wal Jama’a, said his concerns were not directed at any individual but centred on institutional authority and adherence to the organisation’s governing framework.
“This is not a personal attack against Sheikh Umar Ibrahim Imam, Sheikh Salman Mohammed Alhassan or any other individual. This is about the Constitution. It is about institutional authority. It is about maintaining order within Ahlussunna Wal Jama’a,” he said.
He questioned which body under the ASWAJ Constitution had the authority to create, appoint or approve the newly announced positions.
According to him, if such powers were vested in the National Executive Council, National Da’awa Council, National Congress or another recognised constitutional organ, those procedures should be respected.
Mr Atakpo cautioned that prolonged disagreements over leadership could create confusion among followers and deepen divisions at the grassroots level.
He said the emergence of parallel or competing structures of authority could have implications beyond the immediate leadership dispute and potentially affect peace within the wider Muslim community.
Against this background, he called on the Government, the Ministry of the Interior, the National Peace Council and other relevant institutions to facilitate a neutral and inclusive dialogue among legitimate constitutional stakeholders of ASWAJ.
He stressed, however, that such engagement should not amount to government interference in Islamic religious doctrine or an attempt to determine who should lead the organisation.
Rather, he said, the objective should be to promote peacebuilding, mediation and public order while allowing ASWAJ’s constitutional structures to address the substantive issues.
Mr Atakpo proposed that the dialogue should establish the constitutional status of the recently announced appointments, determine which organs have the authority to make such decisions and prevent the development of competing leadership structures.
He also suggested that disputed matters be referred to the appropriate constitutional bodies and, where necessary, subjected to an independent legal or constitutional interpretation.
He appealed to scholars, imams, elders and other leaders within Ahlussunna Wal Jama’a to exercise restraint and place the unity of the Muslim community above individual differences.
“Our disagreements must never become greater than our brotherhood. Our positions must never become greater than our Constitution,” he said.
Mr Atakpo further urged all parties to suspend actions that could deepen the disagreement and return to the constitutional framework of ASWAJ.
He said preventive engagement was preferable to waiting until tensions escalated into confrontation, adding that the immediate priority should be preserving peace and unity within Ghana’s Muslim community.