The Muslim Community of Oyo State has appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to support the emergence of a Muslim as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 election, citing what it described as the need to preserve religious balance and harmony in the state.
The call was made in a statement issued by the Chairman of the Muslim Community of Oyo State, Alhaji Ishaq Kunle Sanni, after a meeting attended by representatives of several Islamic organisations, including NASFAT, NACOMYO, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, FOMWAN, the Muslim Youth Organisation of Nigeria (MYON) and other community leaders.
In the statement, the group acknowledged Governor Makinde’s past support for Muslims in the state, including the construction of a mosque at his campaign headquarters during his electioneering campaign and support for Muslim pilgrims travelling for Hajj and Umrah.
The group also commended the governor for rebuilding the Adogba Mosque displaced during the redevelopment of the Iwo Road transport interchange.
“When you demolished Adogba Mosque to give way for the modern motor station in Iwo Road, you built a state-of-the-art mosque that closed the mouths of those who perceived you as a Christian irredentist,” the statement said.
However, the Muslim community expressed concern over remarks allegedly made by the governor during the flag-off of this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, where he reportedly suggested that it was unnecessary for a Muslim to succeed him as governor.
“That view was disturbing to the Muslim community in Oyo State. There is an unwritten tradition for the sake of religious harmony, peace and tranquillity that when a Christian finishes his term, a Muslim should be next and vice versa,“ the statement added.
The group argued that the arrangement had contributed to religious fairness in the state’s political leadership, noting that former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, a Christian, was succeeded by the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, a Muslim, before Makinde assumed office.
The statement further urged the governor to consider endorsing a Muslim among the PDP governorship aspirants in order to reassure Muslim supporters of his commitment to religious inclusiveness.
“Please, for God’s sake, do not destabilise and create distortion in the arrangement of religious fairness and equity existing in Oyo State in the governorship race,” the statement read.
The Muslim leaders maintained that backing a Muslim candidate would demonstrate that the governor “had not been deceiving” Muslim supporters and that his relationship with the Muslim community had not been based on “a use-and-dump methodology.“
