By Richard Akintade, Osogbo
Sheikh Daood Imran Molaasan, the Grand Mufti of Yorubaland, Edo, and Delta, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconcile the different factions within the All-Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun.
Molaasan emphasized that bringing together these factions would not only unite Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the former Minister of Interior, and Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, the former governor of the state, but also put an end to misinformation and divisive politics propagated by certain individuals and organizations.
In a statement released in Iwo and addressed to journalists on Tuesday, Molaasan criticized the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) for making misguided statements and uninformed comments regarding the disagreement between Aregbesola and Oyetola.
The cleric urged Muslims in Osun and the entire South-West region to disregard the statement issued by Prof. Ishaq Akintola, the Executive Director of MURIC, where he declared Aregbesola to be at fault in the rift between them.
Molaasan asserted that Akintola’s comment was unbecoming of someone in a position of authority, particularly a professor who should possess informed knowledge and aspire to facilitate peace between Muslim brothers engaged in conflict.
He stated, “No one understands the intricacies of what went wrong between Aregbesola and Oyetola better than us. I was actively involved. Aregbesola was not at fault. It was the supporters of Oyetola, driven by their own interests, who led him astray. Aregbesola remains a significant figure in Osun today.”
He criticized the requirement imposed by Oyetola’s supporters that anyone seeking appointment or government opportunities must declare their enmity towards Aregbesola.
Molaasan highlighted the disparity in motivations, stating that while they were concerned with Islam, many of Oyetola’s supporters were primarily focused on politics.
He commended Aregbesola’s statement, saying, “We didn’t offend anyone, and we don’t believe anyone offended us, but they may believe we offended them, which is why we are apologizing to them.”
He considered this to be the best possible response, demonstrating an ability to apologize even when feeling slighted.
Molaasan pointed out that Oyetola had offended many Muslims, with his policies overturning the beneficial initiatives implemented by Aregbesola without a proper understanding of their underlying ideology.
He emphasized that neither Aregbesola nor Oyetola represented the Muslim Ummah, but rather their respective political parties.
He urged the Muslim community to actively engage in politics if they sought relevance, and placed the blame for the situation in Osun on Oyetola, not Aregbesola.
Expressing disappointment, Molaasan criticized Prof. Ishaq Akintola of MURIC for commenting on a matter about which he lacked knowledge.
He considered Akintola’s statement regarding the rift between Aregbesola and Oyetola to be indicative of his lack of information or an intentional distortion of the truth. Molaasan believed that such behavior was unbecoming of a professional, an informed individual, or someone who aimed to reconcile two feuding Muslim brothers.
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