Intense but discreet moves are ongoing among prominent Muslims clerics to replace the late secretary-general of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Dr. Lateef Adegbite.

Sources within the council told LEADERSHIP in a telephone interview that the possibility of the successor emerging from South West and North Central regions of the country was high as the office appeared to have been zoned to these areas.

According to the source, the decision might not be unconnected with the fact that since the president-general in person and the office of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III, comes from the North-west part of the country, the secretary-general will naturally emerge from any of the two regions to balance the equation.

"You know, the idea of having the secretary-general in the South-West or the North Central is aimed at carrying Muslims in those areas along in the affairs of the council," the source who pleaded not to be mentioned said.

Already, names of prominent Islamic scholars are being mentioned as Adegbite' possible replacement. Those seen to be in contention include the incumbent Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the National Missioner of the Ansar Ud deen Society of Nigeria, Uztaz Abdulrahaman Ahmad; prominent businessmen Aare Abdulaziz Arisekola Alao and Alhaji Sakariyahu Babalola, who made a futile attempt to succeed the late Alhaji Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo as the Baba Adinni of Lagos.

Apart from being the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Oloyede is also the Secretary of the Nigerian Inter-religious Council (NAREC).

A competent source within the council stated that the procedure for selecting the new occupant was such that the national executive council will meet to nominate the replacement after which the general congress would meet to ratify the choice.

"We have a well laid-down ways of selecting replacement for any member of the national executive committee that dies or unable to perform his functions as with the case with Dr. Adegbite. The procedure is very simple: the national executive of the council will meet and select a replacement, which will then be ratified the general congress," the source stated.