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Oyo State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has urged Nigerians to resist religious divisions and promote peaceful coexistence as the country prepares for the next general election.
He made the call on Saturday while opening a three-day conference organised by the League of Imams and Alfas in Yorubaland, also known as Rabitatul-Aimmat Wal Ulamai Fi Bilaadi Yoruba, at Jogor Centre in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.
Makinde encouraged people of different religious backgrounds to maintain unity, stressing that faith should not be a source of division in Oyo State.
Using his family as an example, the governor disclosed that his grandfather was a Muslim and that about 65 per cent of his extended family members practised Islam.
He explained that the Makinde family name came from his paternal grandfather, who lived and died as a Muslim, adding that the religious diversity within his family had not created divisions.
He said, “Makinde is the name of the father that gave birth to my father, who is my grandfather. He lived and died as a Muslim. If I call our family meeting today, I mean the extended family meeting, as we speak, 65 per cent will be Muslims. So, religion cannot divide us in Oyo.”
Makinde urged the Islamic scholars attending the conference to use the gathering to encourage religious tolerance and strengthen unity among Nigerians.
He said people shared a common creator and should therefore avoid allowing religious differences to undermine their relationships.
“I want to plead with you that we cannot be divided by religion. We are created by the same God. So, as this conference starts, let’s preach unity among us and don’t let us be divided by religion,” he said.
In their separate remarks, leaders of the league clarified that the organisation was not a political platform and would not endorse any party or candidate ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Chairman of the league’s Board of Trustees, Muhammad Abdullahi El-Ilory, said the clerics would remain politically neutral, explaining that their role was to pray for the emergence of credible leaders rather than campaign for political interests.
He described religious leaders as guides to politicians and said the league would leave the choice of political leaders to God.
“We are religious leaders, we are not politicians, but we are the fathers of politicians. We will not declare support for any political party or politicians. We, the League of Imams and Alfas in Yorubaland, cannot declare support or announce our support for any politician or political party. We can only pray to God for Him to give us credible leaders,” he said.
Also speaking, the President of the league, Jamiu Kewulere, said Islamic clerics should focus on religious guidance and teaching Islamic principles rather than participating in partisan politics.
Dignitaries at the event included Makinde; the APM governorship candidate in Oyo State, Bimbo Adekanmbi; his running mate, Open Salawu; and the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in the state, Hazeem Gbolarumi.
Others were El-Ilory; Kewulere; the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Abdulganiy Abubakar; the Alfa Agba of Ibadanland, Abdulbari Adetunji; the Grand Mufti of Yorubaland, AbdulRasaq Ishola; the Secretary-General of the league, Mustapha Hamzat; and the Chairman of the Oyo State Pilgrim Welfare Board (Muslim Wing), Hashim Atere.
Also in attendance were the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Daud Akinola; the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Afolabi Olaoye; the Onigbeti of Igbeti, Oba Bashir Abioye; Professors Amidu Sanni, Kamil Olosho and Adam Surajudeen; and the Iyalode Adini of Yorubaland, Sedeekat Aderibigbe.
The conference brought together Islamic clerics, traditional rulers, political leaders and other stakeholders from Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, Lagos and Ondo states to discuss matters concerning the Muslim community and wider society.
