Oyo governorship succession debate intensifies as MURIC insists it is the turn of a Muslim to succeed Governor Seyi Makinde
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) on Tuesday called for a Muslim to succeed Oyo State Governor Engineer Seyi Makinde at the end of his tenure, citing fairness, equity, and religious balance in the state’s political arrangement.
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The group stated that the Oyo governorship succession debate should be guided by an unwritten understanding of rotational leadership between Christians and Muslims in the state.
The declaration was made in a statement signed by MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, and made available to journalists in Ibadan.
According to him, Governor Makinde, who is serving his second term as a Christian, should be succeeded by a Muslim in line with what he described as an established convention.
“It is turn by turn. Seyi Makinde, a Christian governor, has spent eight years in office,” Akintola said.
He argued that the unwritten arrangement requires alternation between both major religious groups, insisting that deviation from it could create tension within the state.
“We have a convention. If a Muslim spends eight years in office, a Christian should succeed him. It is vice versa,” he added.
Akintola warned that any departure from the perceived arrangement could lead to avoidable political or religious tensions in Oyo State.
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The statement has since sparked renewed debate around zoning, religious balance, and political succession ahead of the 2027 governorship election cycle.
