Babatunji Wusu –
- The appointment of Alhaji Muniru Adebayo Raji as the Asiwaju Musulumi of Osogboland has sparked protests within the local Muslim community.
- Sheikh Sulaiman Ajao Akala, Head of the Alasaro, condemned the appointment, calling it a unilateral decision.
- The appointment is seen as potentially causing unnecessary religious tensions within the peaceful Osogbo Muslim community.
- Allegations have surfaced that Alhaji Raji was involved in a previous conflict at the Osogbo Eid Ground and made divisive statements during political campaigns.
The appointment of Alhaji Muniru Adebayo Raji as the Asiwaju Musulumi of Osogboland by the Chief Imam of Osogbo, Sheikh Musa Animashaun, has sparked significant protest from within the local Muslim community. Sheikh Sulaiman Ajao Akala, the Head of the Alasaro, strongly condemned the decision during a press briefing held in Osogbo on Wednesday.
Representing the Muslim community, Sheikh Akala criticized the appointment as a unilateral action by the Chief Imam, which he argued could cause unnecessary religious discord. He described the decision as detrimental to the peaceful coexistence of the Osogbo Muslim community. According to Sheikh Akala, Islam promotes peace and unity, and the appointment contradicts these values by potentially creating avoidable tensions.
Sheikh Akala further stated, “This unilateral decision of the Chief Imam is not only disappointing to the whole Muslim community but much unwholesome. It is best considered as an attempt to create avoidable religious crises in an otherwise peaceful Osogbo Muslim community.” He emphasized that the principles of Islam, which the Chief Imam’s appointment to his position exemplifies, should promote harmony rather than division.
The head of the Alasaro also expressed that the appointment of Alhaji Raji as the Asiwaju Musulumi was offensive to the collective religious sensibilities of the Muslim Ummah. He revealed that Alhaji Raji was allegedly linked to a crisis that occurred at the Osogbo Eid Ground on June 28, 2023, and had made divisive statements during the recent political campaigns. These allegations have added fuel to the protests against his appointment.
The Chief Imam of Osogbo, Sheikh Musa Animashaun, officially appointed Alhaji Muniru Adebayo Raji as the Asiwaju Musulumi of Osogboland on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, despite the growing opposition.
