The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has issued seven days ultimatum to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Rauf Aregbesola, and the Governor of Osun State, Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola to end their ongoing feud.
The group said the rift between the Minister and the Governor has become deeper but it must be settled within seven days if indeed they are true Muslims who can settle any score for the sake of Allah.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the group’s director and founder, Professor Ishaq Akintola on Monday, 3rd December 2021.
“The rift between the Minister of Internal Affairs, Rauf Aregbesola and the Governor of Osun State, Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola has been in the public arena for more than two years now.
All efforts made by stakeholders, including Muslim leaders, to settle the feud have proved abortive.
“We have decided to wade into the squabble because Muslims in the South West will be the worst hit if the rift is allowed to continue ad infinitum.
Already, it has become a major embarrassment to Muslim leaders in the sub-region. Muslim youths are also entertaining fears over the ugly development.
Apart from this, MURIC’s office has been inundated with calls for our intervention. MURIC’s staunch belief in dialogue and its commitment to it over the years is also another cassu belli of our intervention.
“To cap the edifice, the Muslim Rights Concern is deeply concerned because Allah gave specific instruction to Muslims regarding this type of development.
This instruction is in the Glorious Qur’an 49:10. The verse describes Muslims as ‘brothers’ (innama al-mu’minuun ikhwatun) and commands members of the Ummah to intervene in disputes for the purpose of reconciling two feuding Muslim brothers (faslihuu bayna akhwaykunm).
“We appreciate the intervention of Muslim leaders in this dispute.
But it is because those efforts are yet to yield the desired result while the rift has already been blown open that MURIC has opted for this intervention.
More often than not, parties in disputes tend to forget that their rancours bring sadness and agony to those who love them in particular and other stakeholders in general.
“The question is what is at stake and we affirm that a lot is at stake because when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.
The ongoing face-off is likely to affect the fortunes of both Aregbesola and Oyetola in the coming gubernatorial election in Osun State this year although they may not acknowledge this fact now as both gladiators are still grandstanding.
“It is also likely to ricochet on the rumored presidential ambition of their principal, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
A divided camp cannot fight on one front. Neither can it speak with one voice. For the past two years, MURIC has been calling for a Yoruba Muslim as the next president of this country and we still stand by this.