BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Grand Mufti of Yorubaland, Edo, and Delta, Sheikh Daood Imran Molaasan, has called on President Bola Tinubu to settle the rift between immediate past Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, and former governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola.
The cleric said Oyetola was to be blamed for the fued with his predecessor because the former allegedly upturned the policies Aregbesola made when he was state governor.
Molaasan, in a statement made available to journalists in Iwo, on Tuesday, explained what led to the differences between the political gladiators, saying, “On what went wrong between Aregbesola and Oyetola, nobody understands it better than us. I was actively involved. Aregbesola was not at fault. It was those supporting Oyetola, because of their interest, that led him astray. And in Osun today, Aregbesola is a factor.
“How can you be asking whoever is seeking an appointment or any government opportunities to swear to make an enemy of Aregbesola before he or she can be considered?
“We are the ones thinking of Islam, many of their supporters were only thinking of politics. And as Aregbesola has said, ‘We didn’t offend anyone and we don’t believe anyone offended us but they may believe we offended them, that’s why we are apologising to them’. This is the best statement ever for someone offended and yet apologizing.
“Oyetola offended so many Muslims, and many of his policies upturned many things Aregbesola did for the benefit of Muslims when he did not know the ideology behind them.
“Neither Aregbosola nor Oyetola represents the Muslim Ummah. They represent their party. If Muslim Ummah wants relevance, let them be active in politics. So, on Osun, blame Oyetola, not Aregbesola.”
Notwithstanding, he urged the President to reconcile all tendencies in the All Progressives Congress in Osun, adding that such a move would put a stop to misinformation and bitter politics being played by certain individuals and organisations.
He chided the Muslim Rights Concern for what he described as unguided statement and uninformed comment on the rift between Aregbesola and Oyetola.
The cleric urged Muslims in Osun and South West in general to ignore the statement released by the Executive Director of MURIC, Ishaq Akintola, where he declared that Aregbesola was guilty in the rift between him and Oyetola.
According to Molaasan, Akintola’s comment was unbecoming of a professor, an informed personality and somebody who wants to broker peace between two warring Muslim brothers.
“It is unfortunate that Prof. Ishaq Akintola of MURIC could come out to make a comment on something he does not know about. His comment on the rift between Aregbesola and Oyetola shows that he is not informed, or rather being economical with the truth. That is unbecoming of a profession, or an informed personality or somebody who wants to broker peace between two warring Muslim brothers,” the cleric noted.
