For the sake of peace and quiet, the recently crowned Soun of Ogbomosho, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, has been advised by the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), an Islamic human rights organization, to avoid the Chief Imam’s office.
According to MURIC, Muslims in the city have accused the Soun of working behind the scenes to install his preferred nominee as the Chief Imam.
The warning was delivered in a press release on Monday, February 19, 2024, by Professor Ishaq Akintola, the Executive Director of the non-governmental organization with a faith-based focus.
The statement fully read, “Muslims of Ogbomosho have reported that the new Soun, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, is already making surreptitious moves to remove the Chief Imam of Ogbomosho. He plans to replace him with a palace puppet. Already, there is palpable tension in the city of Ogbomosho due to this ugly development.
“We like to remind the Soun that, first and foremost, as a Christian, he cannot pick an Imam for Muslims. Apart from being a Christian, kings have no business in the choice of Imams. It is the prerogative of Islamic scholars in that city. The king’s duty is to cooperate with any Imam chosen by the Muslims of any city in maintaining peace and tranquility. Therefore, it is wrong for the Soun to poke his nose into the affairs of Muslims.
“Besides, the king will be acting ultra vires if he attempts to replace the Chief Imam. Nothing in the laws of Oyo State, or any state in the South West for that matter, empowers the Oba to remove or replace an Imam. Any such attempt will be illegal, illegitimate, unlawful and unconstitutional. The days of l’etat cest moi a la Louis XIV are over. We are in a democracy, Yoruba Muslims will not pander to royal excesses.
“We hereby repeat inter alia our press statement of 8th January, 2024 captioned ‘Stop Influence of Kings on Yoruba Imams – MURIC’ (https:muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com/2024/01 stop-influence-of-kings-on-yoruba-imams.html?m=1; https://theeagleonline.com.ng/stop-influence-of-kings-on-yoruba-imams-muric/; https://theglittersonline.com.ng/akintola-13/; https://muslimnews.com.ng/2024/01/09/stop-influence-of-kings-on-yoruba-imams-muric-says-practice-traceable-to-some-imamate-tussle-in-southwest/).
“We have seen this in many Yoruba cities particularly whenever an Imam dies and a new one is about to be appointed. The kings often influence the choice of the new Imam particularly where the post is competitive. It is also the king who gives the Imam the staff of office.
“This is an erroneous, archaic and obnoxious practice because the king has no role whatsoever to play in the imamate under the Shari’ah, particularly where Islam is not used as the form of government (a non-Islamic State). This is different from what applies in an Islamic state where Islamic political thought is the state policy and the khalifah is equally the Imam.
“The greatest danger in this is that the Oba (king) may impose a Muslim favourite who has no appropriate prerequisites for the post of Imam on the Muslims. This has dire consequences. Already, some crisis brewing in some towns in Yorubaland can be traced to this ugly phenomenon.
“It is even worse where the king is not a Muslim. A Christian or traditionalist as king dictating to the Imam or influencing decisions and steps to be taken by Muslims is a complete anomaly in Islam. It is absurd, illogical, irrational and therefore unacceptable. Many mosques have been ordered closed by non-Muslim kings using the most trivial and ridiculous pretext.
“We will use every legitimate means at our disposal to stop this crude, divisive and selfish attempt to erode the freedom of Yoruba Muslims to choose their own leaders. It is sheer monachical autocracy characteristic of the ancient practice of African traditional rulers who sold their subjects to European slave masters for ordinary mirrors. The question is for how much is the Soun selling the Muslims of Ogbomosho to fishers of men?
“We will not stand akimbo while the Soun reenacts this inhuman and sadistic practice of the imperialists. We therefore call on the Soun of Ogbomosho to leave the Chief Imam alone. Any further pursuit of this diabolical mission will be regarded as a declaration of confrontation with the Ogbomosho Muslim community. A word is enough for the wise.
“Meanwhile, we appeal to the Ogbomosho Muslim community, particularly the already agitated Muslim youths, to remain calm and law-abiding”, it added.
