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Oluwo of Iwo: The Kamikaze King By Bayo Oluwasanmi

Professor Ishaq Akintola represents a religious god that went to Hell and back. If you had been following his bigoted religious divisive and explosive statements, you’ll agree with my characterization.

Akintola is the director Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC). On 2023 presidential candidates, he said Yoruba Muslims will not vote for Christian candidates from southwest in 2023.  “As public discourse on Nigerians zeroes in on 2023 presidential election, we see the need for us to reiterate our position on the need for a Yoruba Muslim presidential candidate from southwest.” 

He claimed that “It has been persecution and stigmatization galore for Yoruba Muslims since independence. They are denied almost all civil liberties. Admission seekers who are Muslims are denied attractive courses in tertiary institutions. It is easier for an elephant to pass through a needle’s eye than for a Yoruba Muslim graduate to secure employment. Yoruba Muslims are marginalized in political appointments.” Akintola claimed that the developer of the collapsed 21-storey building in Lagos rejected an engineer because he’s a Muslim. 

Recently, Traditional Religious Worshippers Association (TRAWSO) gave the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, 21-day ultimatum to publicly apologize to TRAWSO for disrespecting traditional religion. Oluwo does not believe in Yoruba deities and will have nothing to do with them. He said celebrating deities belittled traditional rulers: “A king must celebrate the King of all Kings. A king must not celebrate lesser gods but God almighty,” says Oluwo. TRAWSO planned to invade Iwo town and will depose the monarch from the ancestral throne if their demands were not fully met. 



In response, Akintola said MURIC condemned the threats. “We note with deep concern that traditionalists in Yorubaland prefer to monopolise Muslim traditional rulers in such a way that the latter pay no attention to Islam and Muslims but concentrate on traditional rites alone,” said Akintola.

Akintola has failed to support his allegations of discrimination and marginalization of Yoruba Muslims with verifiable proofs. Rather, he turns the truth upside down in a most brazen and despicable manner. His allegations lack merit, reasoning, and logic. As a devil’s masquerade, Akintola hides under the cover of MURIC to incite Yoruba Muslims against Yoruba Christians, thereby fomenting religious tension that could trigger religious terrorism.

As a jihadist, Akintola spews hatred and paints non-Muslim Yorubas as Muslim haters. As an advocate of Sharia law, Akintola dresses bigotry as a theology. A dangerous time bomb that could go off any time. As a religious bigot, Akintola is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to fanatical Islamic opinions and prejudices. He treats Yoruba Christians with hatred and intolerance. Yorubas must reject his intolerance, his fascist tactics, his Maoist brainwashing, his continuous violations of ordinary common sense, his evident desire to destroy Yoruba unity, and his lack of simple human decency. Unity of Yorubas is our best weapon against the army of bigotry under the tutelage of Akintola. 

As for Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwo, the kamikaze king, his utterances and actions smark of desecration of Yoruba kingship traditions, rites, and observances. He behaves like a political thug. Before he became king he was fully aware of the role of a Yoruba king as the chief priest of Yoruba deities. He knew he’s opposed to the deities and would not perform such rites, why did he agree to ascend the throne? What was he thinking about? Enough of his tomfoolery. He’s lucky he still remains on the throne. By now he should be languishing in exile. Iwo people in particular and Yorubas in general, must fight and reject Oluwo’s disrespectful acts and violence against Yoruba symbols, deities, traditions, faith, and the jealously guarded shrines in Yoruba palaces. 

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Sourced From Sahara Reporters

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