President Muhammadu Buhari has been listed as the 17th most powerful Muslim in the world for his war against corruption and indiscipline.
This is according to the 13th edition of The 500 Most Influential Muslims, also known as The Muslim 500, released on Sunday.
The 500 Most Influential Muslims is an annual publication which ranks the most influential Muslims in the world. The publication, which was first published in 2009, is compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Amman, Jordan.
President Buhari made it to the top 50, ranking 17th in the list that has Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar; King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia; Ayatollah Hajj Sayyid Ali Khamenei of Iran; President Recep Tayyib Erdoğan of Turkey as the top four.
In its commentary about President Buhari, the publication said: “President Buhari began his military career at the Nigerian Military Training School of Kaduna in 1963. He was involved in military counter-coups in 1966 and 1975, and the coup of 1983 which overthrew the democratically elected government and resulted in him being head of state for two years. During these years, he gained fame for his all-out war against corruption and indiscipline, a reputation he has since kept.”
“President Buhari ran as the main opposition candidate in the presidential elections of 2003, 2007 and 2011, all ending in defeat, before winning in 2015. His platform was built around his image as a staunch anti-corruption fighter and his reputation for honesty and incorruptibility. He is considered an icon by the Muslims of northern Nigeria, but enjoys nationwide respect due to his stance on corruption.”
Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar III, Sultan of Sokoto, also made the list. He was ranked 18th, just after President Buhari.
About the Sultan, The Muslim 500 said: “Amirul Mu’minin Sheikh as Sultan Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar III is the 20th Sultan of Sokoto. As Sultan of Sokoto, he is considered the spiritual leader of Nigeria’s 98.7 million Muslims, who account for roughly 50 percent of the nation’s population.”
“Abubakar holds important administrative influence in Nigerian religious life. Abubakar is the titular ruler of Sokoto in northern Nigeria and is also the head of the Nigerian National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. Leadership of this council means that the Sultan of Sokoto remains the only figure that can legitimately claim to speak on behalf of all Nigerian Muslims. This role has become increasingly influential over the years with a rise in interreligious tensions between Nigeria’s Muslim-majority north and Christian-majority south.”
“The Sultan has started many initiatives to counter and reduce the influence of Boko Haram. He has also worked to strengthen Muslim-Christian ties by inviting an international joint Muslim Christian Delegation to visit Nigeria.”
Also included in the top 50 was Egyptian Liverpool striker, Mohammed Salah. He was ranked 41st.
According to the annual publication, the woman of the year was President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania and the man of the year was Uğur Şahin of Germany.
