Ilorin cleric, Aduranigba under fire over comment on possible installation of Ilorin Oba if APC wins guber poll

Cleric mentally unstable – Magaji Nda

…claim figment of his imagination – Prof Badmas

…statement inciting, says Imam Pakata

By Mumini AbdulKareem  and Ahmed Ajikobi

An Islamic cleric who is known to be a key supporter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sheikh Abdulrahim Aduranigba, has come under the sticks following his utterance that

that the emergence of the party’s candidate, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq as governor of Kwara State in Saturday’s election, will clear the coast for the emergence of a new traditional ruler in the ancient town to be addressed as the Oba of Ilorin.

Aduranigba in an exclusive interview with a Yoruba language newspaper, Yoruba Ronu, published on pages two and three under the headline “Ni Ipinle Kwara, Yoruba Setan Lati Fi Ibo Gga Agbara Lowo Saraki Ati Fulani” claimed to be the Chief Imam of Ilorin and entire Yoruba land.

When translated, the title of the write up disclosed a grand design by the “Yoruba to use the 2019 general elections to wrestle power from the Saraki political dynasty and the Fulani clan in Ilorin.

Speaking in separate interviews with our reporters, last night, the Magaji Nda of Ilorin,    Alhaji Solihu Woru Mohammed, a University Don, Prof Lanre Badmas and the Chief Imam of Agaka Central Mosque, Ilorin, Alh. Yusuf Murtador (otherwise known as Imam Pakata) condemned Aduranigba for his  utterance saying he does not deserve to be addressed as an Islamic cleric.

In his words, the Magaji Nda described Aduranigba as being mentally unstable adding that he should be referred to a psychiatric home.

Magaji Nda said, “He (Aduranigba) is mentally unstable and should be taken to psychiatric home.

“As far as I know, he is not speaking the mind of the Kwara APC gubernatorial candidate, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq as no leader will like to preside over a divided community. Aduranigna must be a pseudo cleric.”

On his part, Prof Badmas, who is the former Dean of Post Graduate School, University of Ilorin, said that the claim by Aduranigba is a figment of his imagination “because the matter he is talking about has been decided long time ago.

“I am not sure he is even speaking the mind of the political group he claims to be representing. No matter how good the agenda of a political party, there is no way it can be translated unless in the atmosphere of peace and stability,” he said.

Prof Badmas  however appealed to the public to ignore the cleric saying where was he several years back that he is now making such ridiculous declaration in order to draw the attention of the people to him.

“My personal view is that nobody is even thinking about that in the current situation. What preoccupies the mind of the candidate is how to develop the state and not to introduce anything that will destabilise and divide the people of Ilorin emirate.”

Similarly, Imam Pakata, described the statement as inciting adding that the same cleric made similar unguarded utterance during the tenure of Mohammed Lawal as governor of the state.

“Such statement can disturb the peace being enjoyed in the state. Looking at that person, I don’t think he has the knowledge of Islam.

“Every state has its culture and tradition. The person making such statement had at a time met with OPC member of the Yoruba kingship in Ilorin. Ilorin has never taken part in such act. It has never happened as all we have is the Emir of Ilorin as our traditional ruler.

“Sheikh Alimi did not seek to be Emir, they offered him the position and he rejected it. They were begging him for the position and it was on the issue that Sheik Alimi died and to compensate him, they turbaned his son as the Emir and that has become our tradition,” he divulged.

Aduranigba had stated that: “After winning the coming governorship election, we shall have an Oba of Ilorin once our own son, Abdulrahman becomes the state governor of the state. We will then ask for our rights. When the new governor is inaugurated, he will help us upgrade the Yoruba chiefs in Ilorin Emirate and Kwara as a whole. Balogun Alanamu, Olu Isin, Onikangu, Magaji Are, Baba Isale, Alapado, Olu Oke- Oyi, Ohoro of Shao, Oba Saadu and Oba of Jebba must be upgraded”.

He claimed that the Yoruba ethnic group constitutes the largest population in Kwara State, and that his people have adopted the All Progressives Congress( APC) gubernatorial candidate in the state, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq as their choice for the Saturday governorship poll.

The cleric noted that the 2019 general elections present the Yoruba in Ilorin and Kwara state the best opportunity to free themselves from the grip of the Fulani who have been ruling them under the Emirate system that is alien to the local culture.

He said “we have adopted Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq as our governorship candidate because he is a Yoruba and we have instructed him to conduct his campaigns in Yoruba language. The PDP candidate is Fulani and we challenge him to conduct his campaigns in Fulani language. Twelve out of the 16 local government areas in Kwara state belong to  us (Yoruba). Therefore, we are sure of victory in the coming governorship election in the state”, he stated.

Answering another question, Sheik Aduranigba boasted that ” Abdulrahman is Yoruba and all the Yoruba, who are in the majority in the State will vote massively for him and ensure his emergence as the state’s next governor. There is no fear of defeat at all as Yoruba are in majority in the state”.