Alaafin: MURIC Flays Makinde, Asks Oyo Muslims To Crown New Chief Imam

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has urged the Muslim community in Oyo town to promptly appoint and turban their own Chief Imam, without waiting for the installation of the new Alaafin.

This statement, made by MURIC’s Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, followed the recent announcement by Governor Seyi Makinde that Prince Abimbola Akeem Owoade had been appointed as the new Alaafin of Oyo.

Akintola criticized the governor’s approval of Owoade’s appointment, labeling it as an act of “executive impunity” since the matter is still under legal dispute in the courts. He said, “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.”

MURIC condemned the governor’s decision, highlighting the ongoing legal case regarding who should hold the title of Alaafin. Akintola also urged the Muslim community in Oyo town to take action and appoint a new Chief Imam to avoid further embarrassment. “The Oyo town Muslim community should save itself and the wider Yoruba Muslim community from monumental embarrassment by turbaning its own Chief Imam immediately,” he advised.

The previous Chief Imam of Oyo, Shaykh Moshood Adebayo Ajokidero, passed away on January 26th, 2023. Since then, no new Imam has been appointed. Many members of the community had been waiting for the installation of the new Alaafin, assuming that the monarch must be involved in selecting and turbanning the Imam. However, Akintola dismissed this notion as outdated and counterproductive. He emphasized, “It is public knowledge that the king does not appoint bishops and pastors, nor does he give them any staff of office. So what makes the Imam different?”

Akintola questioned why the Muslim community in Oyo had accepted the belief that the king must bestow the Imam’s staff of office. He explained, “This was designed to render the Imam permanently subservient to the king. Muslims everywhere in Yorubaland must liberate themselves from the shackles of feudalism, neocolonialism, and neo-imperialism.”

He also drew a comparison to the trans-Atlantic slave trade, noting that despite its abolition in the 19th century, forms of exploitation have continued. “In Yorubaland, the Muslims are the scapegoats,” he said, adding that traditional rulers are still being used by state governors to exert control over Muslim communities. Akintola stressed that this exploitation must end, and Yoruba Muslims must reclaim their independence.

The MURIC Director argued that although there is no law requiring the king’s involvement in appointing an Imam, the Muslim community in Oyo town has long allowed this arrangement. He stated that this has led to a misconception that the king holds power over the Imam, when in reality, the Imam is chosen by the Muslim community itself. “Imams are leaders of Muslim communities chosen by the Muslims themselves. No law makes the Imam subservient to the king,” Akintola concluded, urging the Oyo Muslim community to take charge and break free from this system.

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