By John Dike, Osogbo
Muslim clerics and community leaders in Osun State, under the aegis of the Concerned Muslim Stakeholders and the League of Alfas, have condemned recent calls by some leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) that the next governor of the state in 2026 must be a Christian.
They described the calls as “divisive, unfair, and a deliberate attempt to manipulate public opinion along religious lines.”
Speaking at a press conference held in Osogbo on Wednesday, the groups stated that Christians had governed Osun State for over 19 years, while Muslims had only been in power for about two years, yet the Muslim community had never protested against perceived injustice or marginalisation.
In a statement jointly signed by Sheikh Qozeem AbdurRahamon, President-General of the group, and Mallam Abdulganiy Sahid Olaide Ezra, Secretary-General, the Muslim leaders expressed concern that such agitation could threaten the long-standing religious harmony in the state.
According to the statement, “These calls represent greed, religious bias, and a clear attempt to hoodwink the good people of Osun State.
“Osun Muslims have shown political maturity and tolerance beyond measure. But no one should take that for granted. In 2026, by the Will of Allah, it is the turn of a competent and capable Muslim to govern Osun State.”
The clerics traced the political history of Osun and the old Oyo State from which the former was carved, alleging that Christians had dominated both military and civilian administrations since the creation of Osun in 1991.
According to them, all six military administrators who governed Osun were Christians, while both civilian governors of the old Oyo State — Chief Bola Ige and Chief Omololu Olunloyo —were also Christians. They noted that Muslims only held leadership positions briefly, through Colonel Abdulkareem Adisa, who served for about two years as military administrator of the old Oyo State.
The group also alleged that during those years, Muslims were “systematically marginalised” in the state civil service, with few opportunities to rise beyond junior positions.
They dismissed as “false and provocative” claims by some Christian leaders, including Pastor Ayodele Owoofe and Pastor Seun Adeoye, that Christians were being marginalised under the current administration.
The statement said, “Even the present administration is largely Christian-dominated.”
The Muslim stakeholders further observed that in the last 35 years, no Muslim had ever been appointed as Head of Service or Chief Judge in Osun State, despite Muslims constituting an estimated 70 percent of the population.
They accused the CAN and PFN leaders of promoting a “dead-on-arrival plot” to stir up religious sentiment because their preferred candidates allegedly lacked political popularity.
Calling for fairness and inclusion, the group urged political parties not to yield to “divisive propaganda” or allow religion to influence their choice of candidates.
“In the entire southern Nigeria, there is no single Muslim governor, yet Muslims have remained tolerant.
“In the North, Christians have served as governors in Muslim-majority states without discrimination. That is what true tolerance looks like.”
They reaffirmed their commitment to peace, unity, and justice, but warned that Muslims in Osun would no longer tolerate political exclusion.
“By the Will of Almighty Allah, 2026 is the turn of a competent Muslim to lead Osun. Any attempt to deny this fair turn will attract strong political mobilisation across the state,” the statement said.
The group urged all political stakeholders, including ruling and opposition parties, to ensure equity and avoid actions capable of igniting religious tension in the state.
