MURIC Accuses Adeleke of Evading Key Issues, Demands Apology to Muslims Ahead of 2026 Poll

MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola

MURIC Accuses Adeleke of Evading Key Issues, Demands Apology to Muslims Ahead of 2026 Poll

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, of avoiding critical issues raised by the Islamic advocacy group regarding alleged religious marginalization and what it described as the governor’s “double religious identity.”

In a statement issued on Monday by its Founder and Executive Director, Ishaq Akintola, the organization said the Osun State Government’s recent response to its allegations failed to address some of the most contentious concerns it had raised.

MURIC had earlier accused Governor Adeleke of sidelining Muslims in political appointments and allegedly portraying himself as belonging to two different faiths. The group also raised concerns over alleged financial impropriety within the administration.

Responding to the state government’s rebuttal, MURIC argued that the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, failed to provide specific figures regarding the religious composition of the governor’s cabinet.

According to the group, its allegation that the governor appointed 17 Christian commissioners compared to seven Muslim commissioners remains unanswered.

“The crux of the matter is that the government has not disclosed the exact number of Muslim and Christian commissioners. If our figures are incorrect, the administration should publish its own figures,” the statement said.

MURIC challenged Governor Adeleke to make public the full list of commissioners, board chairmen and heads of parastatals in the state to allow Nigerians assess the balance of appointments.

The organization further claimed that the state government deliberately ignored its allegation concerning the governor’s religious identity.

According to MURIC, the failure of the government to respond to the allegation amounted to an admission by silence.

The group also rejected claims that its criticism of the governor was politically motivated or linked to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that it has no affiliation with any political party.

“We have no connection with APC or any political party. We support qualified Muslim candidates irrespective of their political platform,” the statement added.

MURIC maintained that three major allegations were raised against the governor — alleged lopsided political appointments, double religious identity and financial impropriety — but argued that only one of them received a response from the government.

The group warned that religion remains a sensitive issue among Muslims and alleged that many adherents across the country were displeased with what it described as the governor’s handling of religious matters.

It urged Governor Adeleke to apologize to Muslims whom it claimed had been offended by his actions and statements.

MURIC concluded by declaring that the debate over the issues would remain active ahead of the 2026 Osun governorship election, insisting that the governor would continue to face public scrutiny over the allegations.

The Osun State Government had earlier dismissed MURIC’s claims as misinformation and defended the administration’s record on appointments and inclusiveness.

The controversy comes as political activities ahead of the 2026 governorship election in Osun State continue to gather momentum, with religious representation and governance emerging as key issues in public discourse.