Don’t Start Religious Crisis in Lagos, Olatunji Warns MURIC over Opposition to Sanwo-Olu’s 2nd Term

Chairman of a social cultural group under the aegis of Ikale Heritage Development Association, Otunba Sola Olatunji has warned the Muslim Right Concern (MURIC) group over what he described as attempt by the religious group to destabilize the age-long peaceful coexistence in Lagos State.

MURIC had recently condemned the approval of second term for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, by the leadership of the APC in Lagos, angling that the next governor of Lagos State should be from the Muslim extraction. But Olatunji warns that MURIC should desist from  hitting  up the politic in a state that has always remained the most cosmopolitan and religiously tolerant in Nigeria.

“What MURIC is asking for is a negation of Nigeria’s 1999 constitution as amended on the issue of 2nd term for elected state governors.” Olatunji said in a statement made available to the press. “The assertion by MURIC that the end of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s first term signals the eight years  tenure of a Christian’s occupancy of the governorship seat in Lagos is misleading, provocative and legally incorrect.

” Gov Sanwo-Olu has the inalienable right to contest for another term of four years by the provision of the Nigerian constitution. His second term ambition has nothing to do with former Governor Ambode or being a Christian or Muslim. His election, in the first place, was purely on merit and the approval from APC leadership in Lagos, GAC, came on the basis of his achievements in the last four years.”

According to the business mogul, those clamoring for religion as a yardstick for who  becomes the gubernatorial candidate in Lagos in 2023, rather than capacity and competences are petty  and stern enemies of the party.

“In this 21st century where people around the world are running digital economy, MURIC would not stop amusing themselves with archaic postulations. Any state in Nigeria where the citizens believe so much in miracles as solution to their problems will continue to wallow in abject penury and under-development.

“It is good to be religious but you don’t mix it with politics. This is why the gains and growth in the 70’s and 80’s are now on reverse gear.”

Olatunji also posits that it is not the prerogative of any religious group in Lagos or Nigeria to choose who becomes next governor of Lagos State.

” However, we are pleading with MURIC, a highly esteemed religious organization, to allow the wishes of the Lagos APC members to prevail in the interest of good governance and continuation of Sanwo-Olu’s positive impact in Lagos.”