MURIC Tackles Alaafin Over Claim On Appointment Of Chief Imam

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has rejected the connection by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade claiming that helium had the exclusive close to name the Chief Imam of Oyo town.

MURIC’s founder/executive director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said connected Wednesday that nary instrumentality gives the monarch exclusive close to name the main Imam.

The radical rejected the assertion and argued that what the Alaafin called his exclusive close was a “baseless” priviledge present being abused by accepted rulers successful Yorubaland.

“The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade claimed yesterday that helium had the exclusive close to name the Chief Imam of Oyo town. The assertion was contained successful a connection issued by the Alaafin’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, connected Monday, September 15, 2025.

“We cull this statement. It is false, baseless and without immoderate ineligible backing. What the Alaafin called his exclusive close is simply a baseless privilege present being abused by accepted rulers successful Yorubaland. Alaafin is being economical with the truth.

“We situation the Alaafin to nutrient the ineligible instrumentality that empowers him to name the Chief Imam for Oyo Muslim Community,” Akintola said.

He described the assertion by the Alaafin arsenic “illogical, irrational and laughable. If helium has the powerfulness to name the Chief Imam, does helium besides person the powerfulness to name the bishop of Oyo? Now, if helium has nary powerfulness to name the bishop, helium cannot assertion the powerfulness to name the Chief Imam.

“If helium is relying connected tradition, determination is simply a quality betwixt contented and what the instrumentality says. By the way, what benignant of contented enslaves Muslims but gives Christians freedom. We cull a contented that puts Muslims successful chains. Muslims are not slaves.”

MURIC brag said, “The king should respect himself and cognize his limits truthful that helium tin beryllium adequately respected,” adding that “Nigeria is not a monarchy. It is simply a democracy.”

Akintola stressed that privileges enjoyed by past kings bash not represent immoderate close by immoderate agelong of imagination. “The contented successful the past was to trek to Makkah connected foot. That has been abandoned. The incumbent Alaafin should halt clinging to a comatose practice.

“Alaafin’s pedigree has already deprived him of immoderate close to find the destiny of Muslims of Oyo town. As a pastor helium has nary motivation close to dictate who should pb the Muslims successful Oyo.

“He himself should cognize this. We request that helium respects the sensibilities of his Muslim subjects. We are waiting to spot however acold helium is committed to the pursuit of peace, justness and fairness successful his domain.

“We cull an entitlement mentality based connected sheer feudalistic sentiment, superiority analyzable and undue people distinction.

“Muslims are calved escaped and they person the close to name their ain leaders without outer interference. We cull immoderate strategy that seeks to enslave Muslims by imposing an Imam connected them. It is wholly wrong.”

MURIC said the Alaafin tin bless anyone picked by the Muslim assemblage of Oyo municipality arsenic the Chief Imam.

“This is successful designation of the information that helium is the king of the town. We expect the Muslim Community of Oyo municipality to consult the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), the umbrella organisation of each Islamic associations of Yorubaland.

“The Muslim assemblage should contiguous lone 1 candidate, not two, not three, to the Alaafin and backmost its prime with an authoritative missive successful which the caller Imam’s sanction is conspicuously written to debar immoderate accidental of manipulation. The Alaafin’s blessing of their prime is not mandatory. It is simply a euphemism for passing information.

“To the Alaafin, Kabiyesi, Your Imperial Majesty, you are the king implicit the full of Oyo. You are king implicit the Muslims, the Christians and the traditionalists.

“Each radical chooses its ain leader. No instrumentality gives you exclusive close to take the Chief Imam. Otherwise, amusement america grounds that you picked the bishop. If you cannot prime the bishop, however tin you prime the Imam? Stop impugning our dignity. Respect begets respect”, MURIC declared.