13th January, 2025
PRESS RELEASE:
MURIC
HAILS OYO KINGMAKERS FOR REJECTING MAKINDE’S ALAAFIN DESIGNATE
Oyo kingmakers have rejected Governor Seyi Makinde’s
appointee for the Alaafin stool. Meanwhile, an Islamic human rights organization,
the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has lauded the kingmakers for standing firm
on the path of truth and for speaking truth to power. The organization urged
the kingmakers to remain undaunted and to resist intimidation and coercion.
MURIC spoke on Monday, 13th January, 2025
through its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The statement reads:
“Oyo kingmakers (the Oyomesi)
have rejected Governor Seyi Makinde’s appointee for the Alaafin stool, Prince
Hakeem Abimbola Owoade. In a letter signed by their legal representative,
Adekunle Sobalolu, and addressed to the state governor, the Oyomesi declared
the appointment of Owoade as null and void; illegal and unlawful. Five out of
the seven members of Oyomesi wrote the letter.
“The kingmakers said they never recommended Hakeem
Owoade to the governor at all. They said it was Prince Lukman Gbadegesin who
was recommended by them on 30th September, 2022 (https://guardian.ng/news/alaafin-designate-oyo-kingmakers-reject-owoades-appointment/).
“The five kingmakers who formed the majority and recommended
Prince Lukman Gbadegesin since 30th September, 2022 are the Bashorun
of Oyo, High Chief Yusuf Layinka; the Lagunna of Oyo, High Chief Wakeel
Oyedepo, the Akinniku of Oyo, High Chief Hamzat Yusuf and two others.
“MURIC hails the Oyomesi for standing
firm in the path of truth and for speaking truth to power.
“It beats imagination how Governor Makinde ignored
the recommendation of the majority to pick a candidate of the minority. The
governor simply waited and waited while he shopped around for a candidate that fits
into his unholy scheme.
“MURIC condemns Makinde’s
rough-tackle methods. The appointment of Owoade as Alaafin designate is gross
abuse of due process. It tantamounts to abuse of power. It is abracadabra.
“Here is a glaring manifestation of the words of
Lord Acton who said, ‘Power tends to corrupt and absolute power
corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they
exercise influence and not authority.’
“If Governor Makinde is oblivious of the truth in
the words of Lord Acton, he cannot feign ignorance of the famous words of Abraham
Lincoln who said, 'You can fool some of the people all of
the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool
all of the people all of the time.
“Makinde can fool some people
in Oyo, he cannot fool the Oyomesi. As the last men standing, the Oyomesi have
refused to be fooled. We salute them for this. History will surely be kind to
them and their names will be written in letters of gold. We remind the Oyomesi
that they are the defenders of the traditions and customs of the ancient city
of Oyo. The good people of Oyo town, nay, the whole Yoruba race, looks towards
them with hope.
“Before we draw the curtain, we assert that
Makinde is racing against time, yet he cannot draw back the hands of the clock.
He cannot be governor forever. Neither will Nigerians accept him as the
landlord of Aso Rock given his antecedent and dictatorial mien as governor. The
legal tussle between him and the Oyomesi will endure beyond his term and then
what? He who laughs last laughs best.”
#KudosToOyomesi
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Founder/Executive Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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