At the Ansar-Ud-Deen Mosque in Sabo, Osogbo, the Osun State capital, the Muslim Political Awareness Front (MUPAF) gathered on Saturday for a Public Orientation Programme on the place of Muslims in the state and national politics.
In a frank conversation among dignitaries at the event, MUPAF leadership lamented marginalisation in sharing the public resource, noting that the promises made by the political class to Muslims especially MUPAF members who worked for their emergence were unfulfilled up till now.
In his lecture, Sheikh Daood Imran Malaasan Grand Mufti of Yorubaland emphasized that only Muslims in Osun who vote in unity can determine who becomes governor. He reminded MUPAF of its unrewarded struggles in the past political dispensations, warning against repeating the same mistakes.
“We need to ask ourselves, who is using our votes?” he queried. “Even President Bola Tinubu knows MUPAF’s role in the Southwest, but when he invited the Southwest Imams to Abuja and gave them cars worth billions, the grassroots members who labored were neglected. Likewise the Muslim political office holders from Osun State who know the impact of MUPAF also betrayed them.”
Mufti recalled how the Muslim community rallied behind former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, making him the only governor in Osun to serve two consecutive terms. “It was because he had the support of the faithful,” he said, stressing that unity remains the path to political relevance. He also warned that unless Peter Obi is not on the ballot, the only way President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could escape the massive votes by the Christians against his second term would be through strong Muslim backing.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s political culture, he lamented:
“Before, during, and after elections, everything is about money. The highest bidder emerges. We talk about Omoluabi ethos, but today, money-not virtue-decides outcomes.”
However, the national coordinator of MUPAF, Alh Lukman Obembe, also urged reflection on the past. Citing the Awolowo era, he said political followers then contributed resources to support leaders because they believed in reaping the benefits of good governance. “God gave us a platform, but we have not used it wisely," he added.
“We have thousands of mosques where muslims gathered everyday while all the polling units in the city are not up to its half. If Muslims mobilize effectively, we can reshape the political direction.”
While speaking, Alhaja Funmilayo Adeniyi who is the Mother of the day and proprietress of Molek Schools, charged MUPAF to prioritize education. “We must give our children quality education, Quranic knowledge, and allow them to participate in politics,” she urged.
In their separate remarks, national President of Jammat Quwwatil Eeman Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Hisa Sulaiman Olanrewaju, and Dr. Misbaudeen Osuolale of Fountain University, Osogbo, noted that collective interest is the foundation of meaningful progress. “As long as politics is driven by selfishness, nothing tangible will be achieved. Those who truly desire change are those God bestows with leadership. They do not settle for less. If we vote based on our faith and collective conscience, we can excel.”
Contributing to the topic of the public Orientation Programme, Dr Saliu Oyelami Aroleorisun who was the 2022 Osun State governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP); the former Osun governor and Interior Minister, Ọgbẹni Rauf Aregbesola who was represented by Alh Muideen Olateju among other special guests charge MUPAF leadership not relent in their efforts but to re-strategies ahead of the coming elections.
The gathering concluded with a shared resolve: that Muslim communities in Osun must organize, educate their members, and participate actively in politics, not as bystanders, but as stakeholders shaping the future.
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