‘It’s time to appoint Muslim Deputy Governor in Ondo,’ MURIC charges Aiyedatiwa
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has joined growing voices for the call for a Muslim deputy governor in Ondo State, following the recent political happenings in the southwest Nigerian state.
The Islamic human rights organization said this on Sunday in a statement by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
Recall that Lucky Ayedatiwa, the former deputy governor of Ondo State, was recently sworn in to replace the former governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, who died of protracted prostate cancer in December last year.
MURIC, in the statement, stressed that Ondo State is a multireligious state with a large Muslim population, while adding that picking a deputy governor who is a Muslim new governor will help the state inject a heavy dose of interfaith tolerance and inclusivity.
It further highlighted a long history of political alienation, economic marginalisation, and social ostracisation of Muslims in the state while saying that the appointment would change the wrong tide of history if acted upon.
The full statement reads:
“The office of deputy governor has been vacant since the assumption of office of Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa.
“As a multireligious state with a large Muslim population, the new governor will be injecting a heavy dose of interfaith tolerance and inclusivity by picking a Muslim as his deputy.
“Muslims in Ondo State have a long history of political alienation, economic marginalisation and social ostracisation. Their complaints have become legendary but nobody ever listened.
“Governor Aiyedatiwa will be chatting an entirely new course if he can change all these by giving Muslims in Ondo State special attention this time around. The governor has no problem identifying suitable candidates as eminently qualified Muslims abound in all sectors in the state and some of them have been active in Ondo politics.” The statement said.
