Oyo Islamic community faults exclusion from Afenifere’s board

The Muslim Community of Oyo State has bemoaned the exception of Yoruba Muslim elders from the board of Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) otherwise known as Afenifere.The Chairman, Muslim Community of Oyo State, Alhaji Ishaq Kunle Sanni, who made this complaint during a press conference in Ibadan, called the attention of Nigerians to the alleged hypocrisy enacted by the Afenifere under the pretense to be the vanguard of Yoruba interest, to confront their enemies and fight against their marginalization from the so-called Hausa-Fulani oligarchy.

Sanni said, that it is crystal clear that this amalgam of Christian’s modus operandi in its absolutism is furtherance of Christian political domination in the South-West and ostracization of the Muslims who constitute the majority in four out of the six states in the region.

Noting that available statistics unveiled the hypocrisy, he said “when you look at their membership, you hardly find a Muslim in their midst. You will wonder if there is a paucity of elders among the Yoruba Muslims which militated against bringing them on board Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) or Afenifere.He made mention of some eligible Muslim Yoruba elders who are qualified to be a Yoruba leader but ignored. “Is Retired Justice Abdul Jabbar Bolasodun Ajibola, a former attorney general and Minister for Justice and former Judge in the world court in a Hague, and octogenarian, Baba Habib Fasinro is 99years old, a retired and accomplished civil servant, still active.

“Chief Sakariyau Babalola, a business mogul an octogenarian active and vibrant, the first African professor of Geology, professor emeritus Muhammed Oyawoye, a London trained university of Ibadan professor., Alh Abdullateef Femi Okunnu,“What about Professor DOS Noibi, who is so much recognized internationally as a scholar that the queen of England awarded him the prestigious honour of Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) What denies them from being considered among Yoruba elders. Is it because they spots a beard?. We can continue ad infinitium to mention qualified Yoruba Muslims who are qualified to be among the Yoruba Council of Elders,” he stated.

Sanni noted that Muslim elders were ignored because of the agenda of the group for Christian prostelytisation hiding under the canopy of Yoruba irredentism. “A Muslim in their midst is like a mole in their eyes. “The only time those Christians masquerading as Yoruba Elders, seemingly supported a Muslims interest was during the June 12 saga. Eventually it was discovered to be fluke hypocrisy of the highest pedestal”.

He also alleged that, “All the cacophony of the Christian propaganda using their pre-eminent domination of the Nigerian press is apparently geared towards a Christian propelled president in 2019.

“We, Yoruba Muslims are no fools. We can read in between the lines. We cannot be stampeded to supporting a well-orchestrated agenda that refuse all the noble things Buhari has done to move the nation forward in the last three years.

“He had done much with less. He had plugged all the conduit pipes through which our commonwealth used to be siphoned by the corrupt politicians. Customs, Jamb, Federal Inland Revenue Services are clear indicators of these facts. He had been commended for his tremendous achievements locally and globally.

“Buhari had been fair to the Yorubas and the Christians. Minister of Finance, Minister of Petroleum, Minister of Transportation, Head of Service, The Chief Judge, CBN Governor, Secretary to the Government of Federation are all Christians. We have no presidential candidate but we believe honestly and passionately that Buhari’s performance is the best in recent times.

“The Yoruba irredentists who trade the race for personal pecuniary interest are blinded by opportunistic sentiment not to appreciate this good work Buhari is doing. It is amazing that some political clowns and demagogues expect Buhari to turn Nigeria into an Eldorado of a sort in four years after sixteen years of unprecedented primitive looting of the treasury and siphoning of our commonwealth to the foreign countries by shameless politicians,” he said.