An Islamic Human Rights group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has posited that it would not subscribe to having a Christian from the Yoruba race emerge as the next president of the country come 2023.
The group added that if the presidency were to be zoned in Southwest, then it should be a a Yoruba Muslim.
This was captured in a statement released by the Director of the organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
Akintola emphasized that he was not opposing a Christian becoming president, but would rather prefer the said (Christian) candidate emerge from another region that is not the Southwest.
He said, “Our true position is this. We want a Yoruba Muslim to be the next president if the presidency is zoned to the region by political parties. So there is a proviso and the keyword is ‘if’.
MURIC is not a fanatical group. We do not have a problem with a Christian president. This is a democracy and Nigeria is a multi-religious nation. So we are not opposed to a Christian emerging as president at any time so long as he respects the rights of Muslims.
“Our grouse is with the system in the South West. It is an open secret that Christians dominate the education sector in the South West.
“Although Muslims form a majority of the mainstream population, the Christians constitute the majority among the elite class. That is why the civil service is fully in the hands of the Christians while the Muslims are an overwhelming majority among the artisans and traders in Yorubaland.
Akintola further alleged that Christians were domineering the systems in the region, because they were said to be more educated. He, however, blamed colonialism as a tool that manipulated system to favor their converts (Christian) against the Islamic counter parts.
“This situation can be traced back to the British Christian colonial masters who manipulated the education system in favour of Christianity,” he postulated.
Also the organization claimed Christians in Yoruba land, have been the best in the helm of the country’s affairs.
“Two, Yoruba Christians have been military head of state and president (Mathew Olusegun Obasanjo, 1976 – 1979, 1999 – 2007), interim head of state (Earnest Shonekan, August 1993 – November 1993) and vice president (Professor Yemi Osinbajo, 2015 to date) but no single Yoruba Muslim has had the opportunity to taste power in the centre.
“Therefore, it will be unfair to give the slot of presidency to a Yoruba Christian again if the post is zoned to the region. Democracy is about inclusion and equal opportunity. Yoruba Muslims are saying enough of marginalisation and exclusivism,” he noted.
Ijeoma Njoku reporting, Obinwannem News | June 7, 2021
