A coalition of 29 pan-Yoruba organisations has rejected proposals to introduce Sharia law in parts of southwest region of Nigeria.
Gatekeepers News reports that this follows reports of the constitution of independent Sharia arbitration panels in Ovo state and Ekiti state.
The coalition in a statement on Saturday, cited the region’s long-standing tradition of religious inclusivity as its reason for not supporting it.
The organisations said the initiative is a threat to the multi-religious coexistence that has defined Yoruba society for “over 2,000 years”.
They acknowledged the contributions of Islam to Yoruba culture, however argued that Sharia law is incompatible with the region’s diverse religious fabric, where families often include Muslims, Christians, and adherents of traditional faiths.
The coalition expressed concern over the socio-economic outcomes in northern states where Sharia is practised, citing widespread poverty, corruption, insecurity, and inequality.
They warned that replicating such a system in the southwest would not improve the region’s socioeconomic indices, but rather exacerbate existing challenges and destabilise the region.
The statement reads, “Introducing Sharia will not solve issues such as poverty, poor governance, and unemployment in Yorubaland. These are the results of visionless leadership, not the absence of religious law.”
“We state clearly that the introduction of Sharia cannot improve the economic, political, social and cultural deficit in Yorubaland.”
“Sharia is not feasible and can never be acceptable to a multi-religious, muti-faith people like the Yoruba; Sharia is only applicable in societies where Islam is the State religion or majority of the people profess Islam;”
“We, the true representatives of Yoruba people hereby strongly oppose any attempt, open or covert to introduce Sharia in any part of Oduduwaland of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Kogi, Edo, Kwara and Ondo States.”
“We hereby warn religious bigots and extremists, including very naive and shallow-minded political actors to desist from their evil plots or they will face the full wrath of Yoruba people.”
