Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has cautioned Muslims in Osun State not to allow Governor Ademola Adeleke to deceive or make a mockery of them a second time.
The Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, in a statement accused Governor Adeleke of marginalizing the Muslims of Osun State , politically.
The Islamic human rights group said Adeleke’s tenure had so far been four years in the theatre of the absurd adding that “a leader who hides his identity will never be transparent”.
“A Muslim who will give Christians their rights is a great democratic asset. But a Christian who will deceive Muslims that he is one of them yet he will go behind their backs to rob them of their rights is a democratic fraud. Every eligible voter in Osun State today has the opportunity to choose between the asset and the fraud. which one will you choose?*
”This is sheer enlightenment directed at fellow Muslims. We are not campaigning for anybody. Neither are we demarketing anyone. We are merely revisiting history. Shine your eyes, Osun Muslims. Your choice will determine whether or not you want Adeleke to mock Osun Muslims a second time.”
”Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State is out again under another political party after failing to give a good account of his four-year tenure as Governor of Osun State.
*”We recall how he marginalized the Muslims of Osun State while deceiving them that he is one of them and maradonising them with his club-dancing theatrics.*
”In MURIC’s press statement of 10th July, 2023 captioned ‘7 Muslims, 17 Christians in Osun Executive: MURIC Slams Adeleke’, we lamented how Adeleke gave the Christians 17 commissioners while he gave the Muslims who are the majority in the state seven only.
(https://punchng.com/muric-faults-adelekes-commissioners-list-says-govs-secret-can-agent/; https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/07/muric-decries-osun-appointments-accuses-adeleke-of-secretly-working-for-can/amp/).
”He danced his way through this shocking marginalisation. His audacious ‘Id ground shenanigan is still fresh in memory when he came to the prayer ground on Salah day to blindfold the Muslims (https://dailytrust.com/osun-eid-clash-dont-desecrate-muslim-prayer-ground-muric-warns-politicians/).
“Adeleke’s tenure has so far been four years in the theatre of the absurd. A leader who hides his identity will never be transparent. Nobody will be able to place him. It is not a crime to be a Christian in Yorubaland and no Christian governor can say the Muslims refused to cooperate with him on account of his faith. But Adeleke prefers to be a Muslim in the day and a Christian in the night a la Mr. Jekyll and Hyde.*
”No wonder his administration has been punctuated with financial controversies. For instance, an audit firm alleged a payroll discrepancy of a whopping N13.7 billion (https://independent.ng/audit-firm-alleges-n13-7bn-payroll-fraud-under-gov-adelekes-administration/).
”Also, Adeleke allegedly mismanaged N14. 9 billion naira security vote.
(https://saharareporters.com/2026/06/08/osun-apc-slams-governor-adeleke-over-n149billion-security-vote-demands-probe-amotekun).
*”Like the sword of Damocles, questions still hang over Adeleke’s head on how he spent one trillion naira in three years (https://businessday.ng/news/article/osun-apc-tackles-adeleke-over-expenditure-of-n1trn-in-three-years/?amp).*
”As another gubernatorial election draws near, Muslims in Osun State must reflect deeply and ask themselves: can we trust this man with our mandate for another long period of four years?
”Writing in 1651, courtier Anthony Weldon in his book The Court and Character of King James said proverbially, ‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me a second time, shame on me’. Unfortunately there is no Anthony Weldon here today to author another book under the caption ‘The Muslims and the Character of the Governor’.
”In a region of six states where there is no single Muslim governor, true Muslims in Osun State must pause and ponder: how did our majority status come to this?
”It is those true Muslims we wish to address today. Open your eyes widely and look around you. Take your voter’s card and have a dialogue with it. Liberate yourself from hypnotic dancers and come to reality.
”The time has come to pitch your tent with a Muslim who does not hide his faith. The time has come to identify with a liberal Muslim who will give all citizens their rights regardless of their religious backgrounds.