‎ MURIC LAUDS EMERGENCE OF MUSLIM CANDIDATES IN OSUN APC, ADC

MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC)

‎هيئة حقوق المسلمين

‎Motto: Dialogue, Not Violence

‎16^th December, 2025

‎‎PRESS RELEASE:

‎ MURIC LAUDS EMERGENCE OF MUSLIM CANDIDATES IN OSUN APC, ADC

‎The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has applauded both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of OSUN State for producing Muslim candidates for the 2026 gubernatorial election. The group called on other states in the South West like Lagos, Ogun and Oyo to take a cue from their counterparts in Osun.

‎‎This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday, 16th December, 2025 by the Executive Director of the human rights organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

‎The statement reads:

‎‎”Both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of Osun State produced Muslim candidates for the 2026 gubernatorial election after their primaries held two days ago.

‎”MURIC applauds the leadership of the two political parties in Osun State for recognizing the need to give Muslims leadership role in governance in view of the majority status enjoyed by Muslims in the state’s demographic pattern. 

‎‎”While we congratulate both candidates for their successful emergence at the primaries, we remind leaders of political parties in other states of the South West, particularly in states like Lagos, Ogun and Oyo whose election primaries are expected to come up in 2026 to take a cue from their counterparts in Osun if they wish to enjoy the full patronage of Muslims in their states.

‎‎”We strongly deplore the poverty of attention, total neglect and unprecedented marginalization being experienced by Yoruba Muslims in the current political dispensation at both federal and state levels. In particular, we are demanding the right to have Muslim gubernatorial candidates in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo while Ondo and Ekiti states should give us deputy governorship candidates, at least.

‎‎”It is noteworthy that whereas Christians have always been accommodated in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Osun either as governors or deputies, Ondo and Ekiti states have neither shown elasticity nor liberalism since independence.

“It was only once that a Muslim became deputy governor there and it was Alhaji Adebayo Musa Ayeni who served as deputy governor of the old Ondo State (which included present-day Ekiti) from 1990 to 1992 when Nigeria was still under military rule.

‎‎”We aver that Yoruba Muslims will not force themselves on any party or candidate. Rather, we will embrace only those who stretch out their hands towards us. We frown at the monopoly and concentration of power as well as its appurtenances in the hands of Christians in Yorubaland since 2023 as all the six states in the region now have Christian governors.

‎‎”This scenario smirks of insensitivity, excessive greed and articulated selfishness on the part of our neighbours. It must change in 2027. 

‎Tolerance, forgiveness, love and tenderness have no place in an environment where one priviledged group takes all, leaving nothing for the other. This is why we see all references to religious tolerance, interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence in the South West as sheer rhetoric, mere talk shops and undisguised hocus-pocus.

‎‎”We assert that Yoruba Muslims are fellow countrymen, not slaves or second-class citizens in Yorubaland. The resources of the region are our common patrimony. The wealth and political power of the South West should not be made an exclusive preserve of Yoruba Christians alone to the exclusion of their Muslim neighbours. We demand equal rights, equity and justice.”

‎‎#SouthWestCandidates

‎#GiveUsMuslimCandidates

‎Professor Ishaq Akintola,

‎Founder/Executive Director,

‎Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).