Ahead of the 2023 governorship election, a socio-political organization located in Oyo called the Better Oyo Movement has urged the state's governor, Seyi Makinde, against fracturing the state along religious lines.
In a statement, the group's chairman, Dr. Femi Fakunle, underlined that attempts to divide the state's citizens along religious lines would be greeted with failure and said that the public's opinions could not be changed through the use of religion.
The group was reacting to a viral message purportedly issued by the Oyo State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria which read, "Your Eminences, Christian Association Of Nigeria Oyo State Chapter has decided that we should please persuade members of our congregation to cast their votes for Engr Seyi Makinde of PDP for the continuation of sustainable development in Oyo State on Saturday, 11 March, 2O23. It is required by Christianity. God's grace. CAN Chairman Oyo State
The group pointed out that only "desperation" could have driven the governor to make such pleadings.
According to the statement, "Oyo Muslims, Christians, traditionalists, and freethinkers have always co-existed peacefully, in keeping with the Yoruba people's long tradition of tolerance, love, and understanding. Nearly all families have members who practice one or more of these faiths, and everyone joyfully celebrates each other's festivals.
"What desperation has now pushed candidate Makinde into pressuring CAN, to the point where the association can start spreading divisive messages like this, is the stuff of tales, which deserves critical examination," the candidate said. So, the Christian mandate is now Governor Makinde? Please tell me, what mandates are the competitors?
What stone will the governor not clutch to in his attempt to win an unjustified reelection if this election is now a question of life and death? Are there just Christians in a state like Oyo that has a fair and equitable distribution of different adherents?
In order to avoid "setting the state on fire," the group pleaded with the governor and his aides to hold off on making such statements. They also encouraged CAN to desist from interfering in political matters.
"We urge Governor Makinde to refrain from setting Oyo State ablaze and to get his managers to order so they don't instigate an unthinkable religious crisis whose outcome is unpredictable.
"Equally, we urge CAN to avoid getting involved in politics, especially since Oyo State is not a one-party state, and primarily because the church should be concerned with continuing to promote the gospel rather than some political conflict.
"We would like to remind Gov. Makinde and CAN that gaining election to an executive position necessitates broad support and not simply some sectoral endorsement that presents that candidate as the chosen one of any religion. The statement continued, "If for nothing else, Peter Obi of the Labour Party's defeat in the recently held presidential election is a prime illustration of how not to run as a sectional candidate.