Osun stakeholders allege religious bias, demand Muslim governor in 2026
By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –
A coalition of Islamic clerics in Osun State, under the banner of the Concerned Muslim Stakeholders and the League of Alfas in Osun State, has rejected recent calls by some Christian groups that the next governor of the state must be a Christian, insisting that it is time for a competent Muslim to govern the state in 2026.
They also noted that the current administration is, more or less, a Christian-Christian arrangement, saying that Governor Ademola Adeleke, who once bore a Muslim name, no longer identifies with that name in his recent party certificate.
Speaking at a press conference in Osogbo on Wednesday, the President-General of the coalition, Sheikh Qozeem AbdurRahamon, argued that justice and balance demand that the next governor of Osun should emerge from the Muslim community, going by the state’s political history.
“It is the turn of a competent and capable Muslim to govern Osun State in 2026 by the will of Allah Almighty. That is what equity and fairness demand,” the group declared.
AbdurRahamon described the calls by some leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) as not only unjust but also a deliberate attempt to manipulate public sentiment.
Tracing the state’s leadership history, the Muslim stakeholders said both Osun and the old Oyo State have been largely led by Christians, while Muslims have endured decades of political and civil service marginalisation.
According to him, “For record purposes, let it be known that Osun has had a Christian-Christian ticket before. The governor, the deputy governor, the chief of staff, and the head of service were all Christians. This is not too far back—just between 2003 and 2010. Yet, the Muslim community did not raise an alarm. Osun Muslims have been the most tolerant religious community in Nigeria, and nobody should take that for weakness.”
The cleric urged political parties to shun religious bias in their choice of candidates, adding, “We call on all political parties in Osun State and at the national level not to fall for this divisive, sentimental, and parochial agitation. Osun belongs to all of us, and our unity must not be sacrificed for selfish ambition or religious manipulation.”
