The Obaship institution in Yorubaland, if not the whole of the southern part of Nigeria, is so much embellished in paganistic ritualism that ordinarily a Muslim should not touch it even with the longest pole. But the Institution of monarchy is constitutionally recognised and have tremendous influence on the life of people at the grassroots and there is nothing that can be done about it even in the futuristic sense.

The glittering glamour of the office, coupled with the fact that it is for life in perpetual splendour makes it attractive.

However,we have two of them who, with the fear of Allah, renounced the Kabiyesi title . They prefer to be called Abdulkabiyesi, Iba of kishi and Iba Abogunde.

Kabiyesi for the sake of the uninitiated, means WHATEVER HE DOES IS UNQUESTIONABLE. We all know the demystication of obas who have gone to jail for various unspeakable misdemeanors.

In Oyo state, we have a Governor who surrounds himself with many Muslims yet does a lot to destroy all vestiges of Islamic proselytisation. Most of these Muslims are just tools for him to achieve his goal of undermining Islam that he hates with passion even if he vouchsafes the opposite.

Governor Makinde unabashedly is a master of the game when it comes to playing the ostrich. The aroma of political office is so grandiose and attractive that people are prepared to exchange their hereafter for it.

Just an example will suffice.
The Hausa community who without mincing words are predominantly Muslims appealed to the Muslim Community to intervene as the Makinde Administration slated their burial ground for destruction as part of Federal government dry port at Moniya.

Very strange because at Moniya, there are thousands of acres of land begging for development. So why not leave the cemetery and look for acres of land around the area. Why won’t the Governor allow the dead to rest in peace?
Why proposing for them to rest in pieces?.

The Governor welcomed our delegation that included the Waliy of our time Professor DOS Noibi. Interestingly, another Professor of Islamic studies but with no international recognition and acceptability like our living legend was in a Muslim team of the Governor to harass us and make nonsense of our demand.

He said there was nothing wrong in destroying the burial ground for public use. He had seen a similar scenario in Saudi Arabia. You only need to make overtures to the Governor on certain governmental infractions that perverts the Islamic cause. You can be sure that the next day, it is not the Governor who would reply you.

He has his team of Muslim attack dogs who would defend the injustice in all its sickening ramifications. Most unfortunately, these are mostly old people whose modus operandi now should be HOW DO I PLEASE ALLAH TO GET HIS FAVOUR ON YAOMAL KIYAMA?

So it would not surprise you that on the present issue of Obaship you have Muslims waiting in the wings to defend the illegality of Makinde. Enough of digression to the issue at stake.

Early in 2023, I made a statement alerting the world that our dear Governor has a master plan to Christianise Obaship in oyo state without qualms. To guide against collective amnesia let me restate the story.

The Governor was allegedly having fun at a drinking joint and he jocularly said
WHY IS IT THAT ALL FIRST CLASS OBAS IN OYO STATE ARE MUSLIMS ?
THE ALAAFIN IS A MUSLIM
THE SOUN IS A MUSLIM
THE OLUBADAN IS A MUSLIM
THE OKERE OF SHAKI IS A MUSLIM
THE ASEYIN IS A MUSLIM
THIS MUST STOP

There were Muslims with him when he made this weighty statement, but they are those who dare not make any careless comment or they will live to regret it politically. They don’t have the courage and bravado of a Sanusi Lamido Sanusi the erstwhile Governor of the Central Bank and current Emir of Kano who told a senate committee after he accused the Jonathan Administration of embezzling twenty billion dollars Petroleum funds. MY FATHER’S NAME IS NOT GOVERNOR OF CENTRAL BANK, MY FATHER’S NAME IS SANUSI, IF YOU SACK ME, I WILL GO BACK TO MY FATHER’S HOUSE IN KANO.

As fate would have it, all these Muslim traditional rulers in oyo state died one after the other. The kingmakers in Shaki would tell you the trauma they went through before they could navigate their way not to give the okere crown in a Muslim saturated town, Shaki to a Christian, an invitation to communal conflict. Shaki experience and experiment was a collosal failure.

Next was Iseyin, an apostate from Islam now a pastor was imported from the United States of America, when his acceptance in an overwhelming majority Muslim town was becoming a mirage, the monarch got his Muslim name back and married a Muslim lady, Maryam. He became a constant worshipper at the Iseyin central Mosque now a beautiful tourist attraction to behold with his tasbyee every Friday. This Mosque was reconfigured by Barrister Ahmed Raji,SAN by far the biggest Islamic philanthropist today in Oyo State.

Then ogbomoso was to have an Oba. About sixteen Muslims were contesting within the family next in line to the throne.
From nowhere, a Redeem Church pastor who had been on Sabbatical from the town for thirty years became the toast of our Governor. The problem of the brilliant, dynamic and fearless Imam of ogbomoso Taliat Ayilara came when at a Ramadan iftar organised by the Governor, he said THE RUMOUR MILL HAS IT THAT YOU INTEND TO IMPOSE A PASTOR AS SOUN, THAT IS AN INVITATION TO ANARCHY.

That was prophetic if the situation on ogbomoso is anything to go by. In spite of a court order the Pastor was crowned as the Soun. He has been doing the needful, creating disunity among the Muslims. Can you imagine a pastor Oba issuing a query to the Imam for going to hajj without his permission?
Even one pastor Stephen Owolabi of Christ glorification church condemned the Soun for his unnecessary and inexplicable interference in religious affairs of Muslims. He asked the Soun rhetorically if all the pastors in ogbomoso who went to pilgrimage in Jerusalem took permission from him?

The Oyo debacle was least expected by those who are oblivious of what stuff Governor Makinde is made of.

As the chairman of the Muslim community of oyo state I held several meetings with Muslim leaders in Oyo town to resolve the issue of Imam that was vacant perchance a Christian could be imposed by Makinde as the next Alaafin.
They all chorused that it was impossible as if there is a law preventing a Christian from becoming Alaafin.

Now, the reality is staring them in the face as the contestants to the Imamship are all doing unholy things to placate ‘ a ceasar’ before ascending a sacred throne. A kufar will pick the Imam because some Muslims don’t know how to discard senseless traditions.

Bishop Ladigbolu an apostate from Islam was the first choice of Governor Seyi Makinde. Then the kingmakers went out of their way to present one Luqman Gbadegesin to the Governor. True to type, their nomination was rejected by the Governor since Lukman Gbadegesin professes Islam. All the allegations against the Oyomesis are mere balderdash and a distraction. Giving the dog a bad name.in order to hang it (NIBO NI WON KII TI KO ADIYE ALE) Pronto, they headed for the court. We started getting rumours that the Governor was shopping for a Christian candidate.

The rumour became a reality when one Akeem Abimbola Owoade was announced by the government as the new Alaafin.
As I mentioned earlier that though Muslims are in overwhelming majority in Oyo, there is no law that says the Alaafin must be a Muslim. even if it looked like a tall dream.

The prognostication of a Christian Governor replacing all traditional rulers who were Muslims with Christians is repulsive, diabolical, insuspectible, politically abhoring, a height of impunity and insensitivity to the majority of oyo people who are predominantly Muslims.

As usual with those who are abrasive in misuse of power, the staff of office was hurriedly presented to the new imposed candidate. The attraction is having catapulted himself through the instrumentality of his better half from the noble Islamic faith to the abyss of a religion on its Intensive Care Unit even in Canada, the permanent domicility of the imposed Oba.

Staccato of legal gymnastics by the SANS who will start smiling to their banks are underway. This Alaafin issue is not going to be a walkover for Seyi Makinde. Put it on marble

May Allah preserve us for long in goodness to witness how misuse of political power would be thrown overboard.

We have a good example here in Oyo state, Samuel Adebayo Adegbola was wrongly installed as Eleruwa of Eruwa.
He was sent packing after many years on the throne by the Supreme Court. The Muslim brother who believed he has the right to the throne after spending a fortune to prosecute the case is still in the limbo after over two years of the Supreme Court Judgment.

With Governor Seyi Makinde on the throne, it is more or less a waste of time aspiring to be a traditional ruler in Oyo State if you profess the Islamic faith.

In Ikoyi Ile, a Muslim professor was the choice of the kingmakers, immediately it got to the Ministry of Chieftaincy affairs, a lacuna was discovered and they told the kingmakers to restart the process all over
Like a recurring decimal the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs acting the script of Governor Makinde have told the kingmakers to go back to the drawing board and search for a Christian.
This is a town with over ninety percent Muslim population.

May Allah give emotional stability to the brother contesting the Ilua obaship
He has suffered a lot of psychological trauma. He is the choice of the kingmakers, but the powers that be severally have called for a restart of the process because they don’t want a Muslim.

May Allah support him, now that the Alaafin the consenting authority for all Obas in Okeogun is a Christian,
Muslims have no blue blood again in their veins in Oyo State.

I pity the Muslim contesting the Sepeteri stool in Okeogun, you may be frustrated. In sha Allah, we would not abandon any Muslim who is interested on sitting on the throne of his forefathers. But take into cognisance that Muslims in Oyo State are endangered species, but our situation will not be like this forever. An aphorism says
TOUGH TIME DOESN’T LAST BUT TOUGH MEN DO.

Governor Seyi is an Emperor now in oyo state but his tenure is a temporary one whether he likes it or not. He cannot serve a third term. He uses people and dump them at will. An Olubadan in embryo supported him with everything you can think of. The Governor almost packaged him into dust bin of history on the traditional front. The garage chief who allegedly committed all sorts of atrocities to get the Governor achieve his gubernatorial ambition is cooling his feet in the correctional centre.

Our brother who used his radio station to attack and vilify us at the risk of all that is noble is now in trouble but the man he gallivanted round the whole of Oyo State using his raw talent feels no obligation to empathise with him in his hour of need. No pay back period,
USED AND DUMPED OYO (ON YOUR OWN)

Being human his philanthropic gesture with a queen inadvertently ended up in disastrous way. He has been very supportive to the poor. He has made justice available to the wretched of the earth, giving hope to the hopeless,
Allah will surely recompense him in manifold and extricate from the present quagmire of a court case.

When it mattered most Governor Makinde abandoned him to his fate
Let him read the Holy Qur’an 2 :120
‘Allah says The Jews and the Christians will never be pleased with you until you follow their brand of religion…..”
Issue of tempering justice with mercy took a back stage.

A good Muslim will never be vindictive. That is why we stood by our brother, one of the best professional in the broadcasting industry. We are solidly behind him like the rock of Gibraltar in this hour that deserves sober reflection. I am sure he must also have learnt his lessons.

To the attack dogs of the Governor including the self-styled godmother of the new Alaafin who was boasting WE WOULD DEAL WITH KUNLE SANNI, That was rude of you to say to your elder eve though you will eat ‘your pounded yam as raw yaw if you dare say that to my face.

As my junior in the l secondary, if you are honest, you should be the one to tell whoever cared to listen that I have been defending Islam from my secondary school days as a teenager.

My principal will say YOU DONT GO TO SCHOOL ON SUNDAY YOU GET FLOGGED ON MONDAY. After beatings for weeks, he got frustrated. For you to be saying with legendary arrogance your stock in trade STOP POKENOSING INTO OUR AFFAIRS IN OYO tantamounts to lack of decorum and sense of history.

Without unnecessary claim of sense of entitlement, my paternal grandmother hails from ILE AMUSU in Isale Oyo.
The best friends of my late father were the movers and shakers of oyo town that included your father a powerfully religious man of eminence, Alhaji Biiznillah, Alhaji Lanlokun, Alhaji Muftau Ishola all of blessed memory and of course Alhaji Kamarise the father of my friend the present Aare Musulumi of oyo town. My father had three properties in oyo that are still standing. I am equally the chairman of the Muslim Community of Oyo State where all coup attempts to subvert or removed me unceremoniously had collapsed like a pack of cards.

As I am leaving soon it is not because of your conspiracy but we now have a Constitution that tenures the members of the executive. Apart from this, the pre-eminent position of the Alaafin as the most powerful paramount ruler in Yorubaland makes it worthy of being of importance to a Yoruba man who is not a bastard.

That is why we must say it loud and clear we are all critical stakeholders to the issue of Alaafin
E ma pe wa lalejo mo, Awa yin la nilu
(DONT REFER TO US AS STRANGERS WE MUTUALLY OWN THE TOWN)

Defending Islam is my life. No blackmail or threat to my life can stop me. Outside the position of chairman of the Muslim community, In sha Allah I would still be vibrant. Since I was born I don’t belong to any secular organisation, my only hobby is Islam.
Fortunately, you cannot be retired from Islam or Islamic work.
For the other government apologists, wherever they may be hibernating, we are waiting for you. You have tried to destabilise the Muslim community of oyo state to no avail.

If there were hypocrites in the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammad SAW why should we be astounded, flabbergasted, amazed and astonished that we have hypocrites now when stomach infrastructure takes precedence over reputational and eternal infrastructure.

The Holy Qur’an says In 4: 145
THE HYPOCRITES WILL BE IN THE LOWEST DEPTH OF HELL FIRE, WHERE THEY WOULD GET NO HELPER.

My ‘friend and brother’ Emperor Seyi Makinde, Yes that was how he described me when a delegation of the Muslim Community met him about a month ago
If he calls me brother he is correct
BUT FRIEND, No. Our friendship is mostly at the airport VIP wing when I am on my way to Abuja where I am a petty contractor. That was my strategy with which to avoid being an object of blackmail that I risk everything to go to Abuja to fend for my family every week.

The Governor is a ‘friend’ who would come and facilitate during Ramadan with a Muslim chief and a traditional title holder whose house is a shouting distance from my house and would not branch in my house to say hello.

Assuming Makinde gave me contract I would have taken it with two hands because it is legitimate but if he tries to supplant Islam, as usual, he would still find me his nemesis.
That is the difference between US and THEM if he follows our unbending and unshakable trajectory.

Saying he would oppose Shariah implementation in Oyo State is tantamount to exhibition of unbridled ignorance of the Constitution when his Deputy Governor is a legal luminary of eminence and he has an Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to guide him.

Section 275-279 states without ambiguity that SHARIAH COURT WOULD BE ESTABLISHED FOR STATES THAT WANTS IT
In any case, Shariah panels exist in Ibadan, kishi, Iseyin and Oyo town to adjudicate on issues of personal law.
To our wonderful Muslim brothers who are political title holders in Oyo state, do not be despondent, you have done your best to make peace between us and your principal.

MKO Abiola of blessed memory said ‘you cannot clap with one hand’. It takes two to tango. Ceasefire is achieved when both parties cease hostilities. Peace in a period of oppression is that of the graveyard.

Allah will reward you for being loyal to your boss and being truthful to your faith, the noble religion of Islam
Combination of both is not an easy adventurism

On a serious and final note let me remind the Governor of Wilson Mizner’s evergreen epigram, BE NiCE TO THE PEOPLE YOU MEET ON YOUR WAY UP, YOU WILL SURELY MEET THEM ON YOUR WAY DOWN.