Osun Muslim stakeholders condemn CAN, PFN’s call for Christian governor

Osun Muslim stakeholders condemn CAN, PFN’s call for Christian governor

Two prominent Muslim organisations in Osun State — the Concerned Muslim Stakeholders and the League of Alfas — have cautioned the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) against what they described as attempts to inflame religious tension ahead of the 2026 governorship election.

Speaking at a press conference in Osogbo on Wednesday, the groups’ president, Sheikh Qozeem AbdurRahamon, and secretary, Mallam Abdulganiy Sahid, criticised calls from some Christian leaders insisting that the next governor of Osun must be a Christian.

They described the demand as “an act of greed, religious prejudice, and deliberate misinformation against the people of Osun State.”

The Muslim stakeholders noted that since the creation of Osun State on August 27, 1991, all military administrators have been Christians. They further stated that the current administration also runs a Christian-Christian leadership structure.

They pointed to past Christian-Christian leadership between 2003 and 2010, saying the Muslim community did not agitate or protest during that period.

“Osun Muslims have been the most tolerant religious community in Nigeria, and nobody should mistake that for weakness,” they declared.

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The group dismissed allegations by some CAN and PFN members — led by Ayodele Owoofe and Pastor Seun Adeoye — that Christians are being marginalised in the state.

“What kind of marginalisation are they talking about?” they asked, noting that in 35 years, no Muslim has been appointed Head of Service or Chief Judge, despite Muslims being the majority in the state.

They accused proponents of a “Christian governor agenda” of trying to exploit religious emotions because “their preferred candidates are unpopular.”

The coalition cautioned political parties at both state and national levels not to bow to religious pressure, warning that such demands could destabilise the state.

They cited examples from Ekiti and Ondo States, where both governors and their deputies are Christians, yet Muslims have not staged protests. They also referenced Kwara State — a Muslim-majority state where Christians have held key government positions — as proof of interfaith tolerance.

The groups insisted that in the interest of fairness, justice and balance, a Muslim should emerge governor in 2026.

“By the will of Allah Almighty, it is the turn of a competent Muslim to lead Osun State. That is what equity and fairness demand,” they said, warning that Muslim patience “must not be taken for granted.”

 

Osun Muslim stakeholders condemn CAN, PFN’s call for Christian governor