The Supreme Council of Islamic Scholars of Nigeria, Osun State Branch, has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke’s Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Alhaji Muniru Adebayo Raji, of distorting facts concerning the leadership of the Osun State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board.
The council’s accusation followed Raji’s comments on a state-owned radio station on Monday, where he reportedly disputed claims that the board’s chairman, Alhaji Moruf Isola, had held the position for eight consecutive years.
In a statement issued on October 10, the Islamic scholars had urged Adeleke to dissolve the board and appoint a chairman from a zone that had never occupied the position, citing concerns over the distribution of leadership opportunities across Osun State.
They warned that extending Isola’s tenure beyond 2026 could result in him spending 12 years as chairman, a situation it said had not occurred in any state in the South-West.
The scholars also claimed that, "Osogbo had cumulatively occupied the position for more than 15 years, Ijesa for nearly 11 years and Iwo for almost seven years, while Ife, Ede, Ikire, Ikirun and Ila-Orangun had never produced a chairman".
However, Raji reportedly maintained that Isola was neither issued an appointment letter nor paid a salary during the administration of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, arguing that Isola’s role at the time was limited to leading pilgrims to Mecca.
“It was the incumbent administration that properly appointed him as the Amir of the Osun Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, in fulfilment of the promise Governor Ademola Adeleke made to the League of Imams and Alfas when he was seeking election in 2022,” Raji said.
The governor’s aide added that the League of Imams and Alfas had requested the continuation of the existing arrangement during the 2026 re-election campaign, maintaining that the chairmanship of the board fell within the league’s prerogative.
In a rejoinder signed by Mallam Isiaq Abdul Rahman, the council rejected Raji’s account, describing his claim about Isola’s appointment under Oyetola as a “clear lie”.
“Alhaji Moruf Isola was duly appointed as Amirul Hajj by the Oyetola government between 2018 and 2022. We attribute his inability to perform the Hajj during two years of that period to the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented international pilgrims from travelling to Saudi Arabia," the statement said.
The council also cautioned Raji against involving the Chief Imam of Osun State in what it described as an unholy alliance between the governor’s aide and the board’s chairman, stressing that the religious leader represented Muslims across the state and deserved respect.
Reiterating its demand for a change in leadership, the scholars called on Raji to advise the state government to establish an independent panel to investigate a petition submitted by Ustaz Abdul Wasiu Adeagbo to the Chief of Staff, containing allegations against the outgoing chairman.
The council also questioned why appointing a scholar from another zone should be opposed, insisting that no individual should continue occupying the position indefinitely.
Osun Islamic scholars accuse Adeleke's aide of misrepresenting Hajj Board facts