In the wake of the appointment of another person as the Alaafin of Oyo contrary to the decision of Oyo kingmakers, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has advised the Muslim community of Oyo town to turban their Imam immediately without waiting for the newly appointed Alaafin to give the next Imam his staff of office.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday, 11th January, 2025 by the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

According to Professor Akintola, Governor Seyi Makinde has approved the appointment of Prince Abimbola Akeem Owoade as the new Alaafin of Oyo. The Oyo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, made the announcement yesterday, Friday, 10th January, 2025.

“The Oyo State branch of MURIC has condemned this act of executive impunity due to the fact that there is still a case in court on the same matter. Nonetheless, and as a follow-up action, MURIC headquarters wishes to advise the Oyo town Muslim community to save itself and the rest of the Yoruba Muslim community from monumental embarrassment by turbaning its own Chief Imam immediately.

It would be recalled that the former Chief Imam Oyo town, Shaykh Moshood Adebayo Ajokidero, died on Thursday 26th January, 2023 and since then no Chief Imam has been appointed.

Muric hinted that the Muslim community of Oyo town had been waiting for the appointment of the Alaafin because they believe that the latter must be involved in the selection and turbanning of the Imam.*

“This is not only erroneous but archaic and retrogressive. It is public knowledge that the king does not appoint the bishops and pastors. Neither does he give them any staff of office. So what makes the Imam different? The Imam does not need the king’s staff of office.

“But the question is why have the Muslims swallowed the idea that the king must give the Imam his staff of office hook, line and sinker? The truth is that this was designed to render the Imam permanently subservient to the king. It is left for the Muslims to think outside the box and this is the time to do it. Muslims everywhere in Yorubaland must liberate themselves from the shackles of feudalism, neocolonialism and neo-imperialism.

“It is on record that Britain abolished the trans-Atlantic slave trade in 1807 and the United States took the cue a year later (1808). Despite these bans, trans-Atlantic slave trade continued into the 1860s. This, unfortunately, is the general impression.

*In reality, however, slave trade has never stopped. It manifests under different guises in different locations. In Yorubaland, the Muslims are the scape goats. Their oppressors use remote control to neutralize and enslave them. Just as the British colonial masters used the traditional rulers during their indirect rule, the state governors in the South West of Nigeria have been using the traditional rulers to remotely control Muslim communities.*

“This exploitation must stop. It is clear that Yoruba Muslims are not free. They have been driven en mass to the slave market and cheaply sold. Slave trade is not over in Yorubaland.

Although it is not written in any law, Yoruba Muslims have innocently and naively surrendered their independence to the kings by allowing the latter to give staff of office to their new Imams. This has led to the king being seen as possessing some influence and power over the Imam while the former parades himself as the Imam’s boss with the power to hire and fire. This is an illusion.

“But the truth is that there is no law backing such an awkward arrangement. Imams are leaders of Muslim communities chosen by the Muslims themselves. No law makes the Imam subservient to the king. The ball is therefore in the court of Oyo town Muslim Community.

“They have the golden opportunity to declare their freedom now by appointing an Imam and turbaning him. The city is now in a state of interregnum. Two good years have elapsed without a Chief Imam.

*“It is time to appoint and turban one. Oyo Muslim Community is advised to involve the state’s Muslim community by inviting the leadership of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) to give the new Imam his staff of office. The presence of government officials is not necessary. That is how it should be.