Accra: A Muslim Shia cleric, Sheikh Bamaiyi, has advised Amina Adam, widow of the late Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayawaso East Constituency, Naser Toure Mahama, against contesting for the vacant parliamentary seat.

According to him, attempting to replace the husband shortly after his demise would be a dent on her reputation that could affect her offspring, he said.  

“Don’t make that mistake. Be patient. There are better things Allah has planned for you,” he said in a social media broadcast message.

He urged her to be wary of sycophants pushing the agenda for her to declare her intention to contest while she is in her mourning period.

“You are a servant of Allah, and Allah has blessed you with knowledge and the wisdom to know what is appropriate. As pleasing as whatever they are doing looks, it is a door once entered, there will be no exist ,” he said.

The cleric stated that power was given by Allah as he referenced the circumstance that led to the late Naser becoming the MP for the constituency.

He recounted that the late MP, who once lost in primaries, was a beneficiary of divine intervention from Allah, which manifested in the carving out of the Ayawaso North constituency from Ayawaso East.

He noted that it was a decision that led to the late MP becoming the people’s representative until his demise in January this year.

Sheikh Bamaiyi urged the wife of the late MP to draw lessons from the story of her husband and be patient as she fulfils her obligation towards Allah.

Posters of the widow surfaced on social media recently, with some rooting for her to declare her intention to contest and hopefully continue the legacy of her husband in parliament.

In accordance with Islamic customs, however, a widow is mandated to observe a mourning period of four months and ten days, a period that serves as a specific waiting time for potential pregnancy and a period of heightened devotion.

She is required to stay indoors and would only go out of her home for necessities; she cannot remarry and must refrain from adornments like perfume, makeup, or decorative clothing.