Fresh crisis is brewing in Ogbomoso, the second largest city in Oyo State, over the appointment of Habib Ayilara as the palace Imam by the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye.
Habib Ayilara was appointed by Olaoye on Friday.
He would be the first person to occupy such a position in the ancient city.
Investigation revealed that there was nothing like a palace Imam in the ancient city until Olaoye appointed Habib Ayilara on Friday.
The appointment of the palace Imam is not unconnected with the feud between the Chief Imam of Ogbomoso, Sheik Teliat Yunus Ayilara and the traditional ruler.
Report had already revealed that the Chief Imam and the monarch have been at loggerheads since the traditional ruler was crowned.
Ayilara was turbaned as the Chief Imam in November 2022 during the reign of the immediate past Soun, Oba Jimoh Oyewumi.
Findings shown that Olaoye had in June this year issued a query letter to the Chief Imam for embarking on holy pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
Ayilara in his reaction said that Olaoye lacked power to issue a query to him.
Voice Air Media, however, learnt that Olaoye has created the office of palace Imam and has appointed Habib Ayilara as the pioneer palace Imam.
The appointment of palace Imam did not go down well with the majority of the Muslims in the town.l, report revealed.
Stakeholders express concern, express mixed reactions.
Some stakeholders among whom are the Ogbomoso Muslim community and the Muslim Rights Concern have expressed divergent views over the matter.
We are not aware of any appointment – Ogbomoso Muslim community
The Muslim community of Ogbomoso said that it was not aware of any appointment.
Chairman, Muslim Community of Ogbomoso, Alhaji Akintoye Abdusalam Olla said that the Muslim community was not informed about the appointment of palace Imam by the Soun.
Olla, who spoke with Newsmen on Sunday, said that he and other Muslims saw the information on social media.
He described the appointment of a palace Imam as an attempt by the Soun to create division among the Muslims in the ancient city.
“We were not informed about it, we only saw it on social media. It is the Soun that is creating all these problems for us, not the Chief Imam.
“The person he appointed as palace Imam is from the same family with the Chief Imam of Ogbomoso, they contested together before the Chief Imam emerged.
“They are just finding ways to disturb the peace of the Muslim community in Ogbomoso.
“They are looking for ways to destabilize the Muslim community of Ogbomoso. They have an agenda. They just picked that one to cause a problem. We were not informed, we just saw it on social media,” he said.
It is an attempt to divide Muslims in Ogbomoso – MURIC
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has described the appointment of Habib Ayilara as palace Imam as a subterfuge to weaken Islam.
MURIC in a statement made available to the Newsmen also described the appointment as a stratagem to enslave Muslims and a chicanery to exploit the Muslim population of Ogbomoso.
The group advised Muslims in the ancient city not to fall for the king’s divide and rule tactics.
MURIC made these assertions in a statement issued on Saturday by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
Akintola in the statement made available to the Newsmen said that there was no vacancy in the Chief imamate of Ogbomoso because there can be only one Chief Imam in a city of the caliber of Ogbomoso and the post has been filled by Chief Imam, Talihat Yunus Olushina Ayilara.
“This is a democracy, nobody can gag us except a competent court of law. Soun has had his way, Nigerian Muslims must have their say.
“Soun’s most recent action is a subterfuge to weaken Islam, a stratagem to enslave Muslims and a chicanery to exploit the Muslim population of Ogbomoso.
“Besides, the Soun has committed titularic inexactitude and monarchical hara-kiri by giving the title ‘Chief Imam’ to a man appointed only as palace Imam.
“There is no vacancy in the Chief imamate of Ogbomoso because there can be only one Chief Imam in a city of the caliber of Ogbomoso and that post has been filled by Chief Imam Talihat Yunus Olushina Ayilara.
“Therefore, the correct title of the new Imam is ‘Palace Imam’ Habib Ayilara.
“He is the king’s special Imam, not the Chief Imam. Afterall, many individual Muslims are known to have separate mosque buildings in their compounds and they appoint Islamic scholars as their personal Imams.
“We warn the new Palace Imam to be wary of the king’s tactics. He must not allow the palace pastor to mislead him. It is sheer divide et impera.
“However, out of meanness and pettiness, the king has made his private Imam the official Imam to be recognized by the Oyo State Government.
“While we know that Governor Seyi Makinde is more than a willing accomplice in this scheme to diminish the status of Islam in Ogbomoso, we patiently await the court’s judgement.
“Of course it is strange for a pastor king to have an Imam but since there is a mosque inside the palace, it is in order to have a Ratibi Imam (Imam of a branch mosque, not that of a Central Mosque). This is where the Soun has exhibited his zero knowledge of Islamic matters.
“Unfortunately, those who know better and who should have counselled him, elected to dance to the gallery.
“We urge the Muslims of Ogbomoso not to fall for the king’s divide and rule tactics. Soun’s subterfuge is designed to weaken Islam and to enslave and exploit the Muslim population.
“We know where Pastor Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, the Soun of Ogbomoso, is going. The body language is very clear. His aim is to make his palace Imam the Chief Imam of Ogbomoso.
“He has appointed a palace Imam but where is his palace bishop? Nigerians must ponder over this scandalous manipulation. His stratagem is to put his feet on the Chief Imam’s neck. He is mocking Islam, playing Muslims against one another. It is divide et impera.
“The destiny of the Muslims of Ogbomoso in particular and that of Yoruba Muslims is in their hands. They can only be free when they resist attempts being made to divide and debilitate them. But their method of resistance must be civilized, peaceful, lawful and constitutional.
“For us in MURIC, we will rather be free and totally committed Muslims in our graves than live as palace puppets, court jesters, sycophants, minions and slaves.
“We will not sell our full Islamic identity and religious freedom for a pot of porridge and crumbs from the palace table”.
Appointment of palace Imam by a Christian King is hypocrisy – Islamic cleric, Alagunfon
An Islamic scholar, Dr. Sulaimon Adewale Alagunfon described the action of the Soun as an act of hypocrisy.
He said that it amounted to hypocrisy for a King who is not a Muslim to appoint a palace Imam whom he said will be leading him in prayers.
Alagunfon, who spoke with DAILY POST noted that the appointment of palace Imam to tackle the Chief Imam is an indication that the king does not have authority in the city.
“The statement made by the king has also shown that the Chief Imam of Ogbomoso is still the overall head of the Muslims in the town.
“It shows that the King cannot exercise authority in the town.
“The king said that the palace Imam will be leading him in prayer, that is hypocrisy to me because you are not a Muslim, so which prayer do you want the Imam to lead you? That is hypocrisy.
“That means, it sounds political; you are not a Muslim, you want to divide the Muslims, you want some Muslims to come to the palace, some will be working with you and work against the Chief Imam,” he said.
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