The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has declared that it will not support any presidential candidate in 2023 that is not a Muslim from the Southwestern region of the country.
The group queried why no single Yoruba Muslim has ever governed the country since independence to date, adding that all Yoruba that have occupied the highest political position in the country are Christians.
MURIC’s argument is contained in a statement released by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Friday, challenging that Yoruba Muslims have been at the receiving end of political and religious persecution for too long.
It said in the interest of fairness and equity, it’s time to allow a Yoruba Muslim occupy Nigeria’s number one seat come 2023.
MURIC alleged that even in South-West states, Muslims have suffered marginalisation in the appointment of commissioners and other political positions by the governors of Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo and Ogun.
He said, “Are Yoruba Muslims third-class or second-class citizens? Are we not equal before the law?
“It is our strong belief that the narrative will only change when a Yoruba Muslim occupies Aso Rock. Who feels it knows it.
“Yorubas have been heads of state, president and vice president but all those who got there have always been Christians.
“So we have had three Christians of Yoruba extraction in Aso Rock at different times. It is therefore natural to ask why there hasn’t been any Yoruba Muslim politician in Aso Rock all these years, particularly from 1979 to date?
“President Buhari’s tenure ends in 2023 and the South-West is already warming up. Will it still be fair for another Christian from the South-West to occupy Aso Rock come 2023?
“Our message to all political parties is loud and clear. Yoruba Muslims will not support any non-Muslim presidential candidate put forward by any political party. To our brothers in the North, we call for solidarity for a Yoruba Muslim presidential candidate from any political party,” he said.
