Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has warned political parties against giving their presidential ticket to a Christian from the Southwest.
MURIC, an Islamic rights organization, warned that any political party that gives its presidential ticket to a Christian from the Southwest would “lose woefully.”
Director of MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, issued the warning while lamenting over marginalization of Muslims in the Southwest by Christians.
Akintola accused Christians in the Southwest of downplaying the fundamental human rights of Muslims in the region.
In a statement, Akintola warned that Muslims in the Southwest would be confined to slavery if a Christian from the Southwest becomes president.
“One, Yoruba Christians do not give their Muslim neighbours their Allah-given fundamental human rights. Examples abound in the way female Muslim children are persecuted in Yoruba schools, particularly over hijab and their refusal to allow their fellow Yoruba Muslims to apply civil Shariah which does not affect Christians in any way. We are reluctant to come under the presidency of people who do not respect our civil liberties,” he said.
MURIC noted that Yoruba Christians produced two “military heads of state and president” in persons of Olusegun Obasanjo and Ernest Shonekan.
Pointing out that the current Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo is a Yoruba Christian, MURIC lamented that no single Muslim from the Southwest has had the opportunity of being in the centre of power.
“We, therefore, reiterate our position: on Yoruba Muslim president, we stand unless the presidency is not zoned to the South West. To give the position to a Yoruba Christian is to sentence Muslims in Yorubaland to a life of perpetual slavery. Our Christian neighbours have not learnt the art of living and letting live.
“Therefore, our message to the political parties is this: any party that gives the presidential slot to a Christian candidate in the South West will lose woefully,” MURIC warned.
