Newly appointed leaders of the Oyo Muslim Community have been urged to prioritise the unity and welfare of the Muslim Ummah above partisan political interests.
The call was made by Hon. Adekunle Tunji Rafiu, JP, in a message congratulating the new leadership on their emergence and urging them to make justice, consultation, accountability and service the pillars of their tenure.
Rafiu described leadership as an amanah (trust), stressing that those entrusted with leadership must protect the dignity of Muslims and represent their legitimate interests with wisdom, fairness and courage.
He said the Muslim community should remain focused on promoting Islamic brotherhood, education, moral development, peaceful coexistence and the social and economic wellbeing of its members.
According to him, the new leadership should establish regular consultation with Imams, Alfas, Islamic scholars, youths, women, professionals, traditional leaders and other Muslim organisations.
He said, “A leadership that listens will understand its people better. A leadership that consults will make better decisions. A leadership that serves will earn lasting respect.”
Rafiu also cautioned against turning the Muslim community into a platform for partisan politics, saying political disagreements should not become religious disagreements.
He urged Muslim leaders not to use religion to attack political opponents, divide Muslims along party lines or allow politicians to dictate the affairs of the Muslim community.
“Politics is temporary. The Ummah is permanent,” he said, adding that political parties and governments would change, while the Muslim community must remain united.
He, however, encouraged Muslims to participate actively and intelligently in politics, urging them to support candidates based on competence, character, integrity, capacity, fairness and commitment to good governance rather than party affiliation alone.
Rafiu further called for cooperation among existing Muslim organisations, including the League of Imams and Alfas, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), the Muslim Students’ Society and other Islamic associations.
He said the emergence of the new leadership should not be seen as a replacement for existing organisations, but as an opportunity for greater cooperation and coordination.
“The strength of the Ummah lies in unity without necessarily demanding uniformity. Different organisations may have different methods, but we can share common objectives,” he said.
Rafiu urged the new leadership to build institutions capable of outliving individual leaders, stressing that the success of any administration should be measured by the structures and systems established for future generations.
He proposed the principle: “Religion before politics; unity before party; justice before personal interest,” urging Muslims to remain brothers and sisters despite differences in political affiliation.
He said the new leadership had an opportunity to establish a new culture of Muslim community leadership in Oyo State based on trust, inclusiveness, consultation, accountability and service.
Rafiu prayed that Allah would grant the new leaders wisdom, patience and courage to discharge their responsibilities effectively, while protecting them from personal ambition, political manipulation and division.
He also wished the leadership a peaceful, productive and sustainable tenure.