As tongues begin to wag about the 2027 presidential ambition of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has foreclosed the idea. The human rights organization said the governor should bury the thought because of his egregious interfaith record.
This was stated in a press statement issued on Monday, 21st October, 2024 by the Founder and Executive Director of the organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The group said:
“Tongues have started wagging about the 2027 presidential ambition of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State. (https://www.naijanews.com/2024/10/19/makinde-not-a-coward-wont-join-presidential-race-through-the-backdoor-oduyoye/?utm_source=beloud.com&utm_medium=beloud.com).
“Although the governor himself has not made any definite declaration, we are conversant enough with the antics of politicians to know that those wagging tongues are being used to test the political waters in the country. Whether true or false, we advise Governor Makinde to bury the thought. It is dead on arrival.
“Is this not the same governor who has been excluding Muslims in his state from governance? So what does he want in Aso Rock? Exclusivism is the high watermark of Makinde’s 6-year-old administration and it is targeted at Muslims in the state. His presidential ambition, if it is true, is an attempt at territorial expansionism for his anti-Muslim agenda. Makinde wants to graduate from a state oppressor of Muslims to a national terror for the adherents of Islam.
“He runs a ratio 14:6 Christian to Muslim cabinet in a Muslim majority state. Out of six chairmen of agencies, only one is a Muslim and that one heads the Muslim Pilgrims Board! Our hearts bleed. We complained severally but Makinde will not listen (https://oyoinsight.com/makinde-has-a-christianization-agenda-muric-tackles-oyo-governor-over-appointments/).
“For microscopic clarity, MURIC is not saying Christians should not rule Nigeria. What we are laying emphasis on is that any Christian who aspires to rule Nigeria must have a good interfaith record. There is no vacancy in Aso Rock for Muslim-haters. We are not against Christians ruling Nigeria but we will stop Christian fanatics and anti-Muslim practitioners from becoming national terrors.
“There are many good Christian candidates with whom Nigerian Muslims can be comfortable. Makinde is not one of them and he is advised to move closer to Chief Femi Fani Kayode to learn how to de-escalate interfaith tension. FFK is about the best Christian candidate Nigerian Muslims will support when the chips are down, when the come comes to become.
“Makinde is a potential executive bully if he enters Aso Rock. For complaining that Muslim students were forced to enter a church to sing Christmas carol, this governor sent security agents after MURIC’s Executive Director, thinking that we would cringe. Governor Makinde has the noun ‘terror’ and the verb ‘to terrorise’ (https://thedefenderngr.com/makinde-is-muslim-rights-activism-a-crime-muric-abuja-chapter-asks-oyo-dss/).
“Going by William Shakespeare’s musing in Measure For Measure, ‘But man, proud man, dress’d in a little brief authority, most ignorant of what he’s most assur’d, his glassy essence, like an angry ape, plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven as makes the angels weep; who, with our spleens,
would all themselves laugh mortal,’ Makinde will out-Herod Herod if given the key to Aso Rock.
“Besides, Makinde is not transparent enough to rule Nigeria. He has the capacity to make false claims and the propensity to arrogate the glory of others to himself alone. His handling of the reconstruction of Adogba Central Mosque, Ibadan, readily comes to mind.
“Makinde ignored all pleas to spare the mosque from demolition in 2020. After demolishing it, the Oyo State Government rebuilt another in its place in 2023. But Makinde fraudulently engraved his name on the mosque as if he was the sole financier.
“He was forced to remove his name from the main gate after MURIC complained but he still retained his name on the wall of the mosque till this day. Arrogance, impunity and arbitrary use of executive power are all in Seyi Makinde’s DNA. He should produce evidence of rebuilding the mosque from his personal purse if he wants to prove any moral right to have his name on the walls of the mosque (https://independent.ng/remove-your-name-from-our-mosque-muric-tells-makinde/).
“Engr. Seyi Makinde is engineering political marginalization, economic deprivation and social ostracisation for Oyo State Muslims. He will definitely plunge Nigerian Muslims into abject penury if he ever becomes president of this country. Governor Makinde should bury the thought due to his egregious interfaith record. We reject this champion of religious apartheid. It had better not be.”