Monies from the two major political parties; All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party to procure support of the Muslim voters ahead of the just concluded elections are at the centre of the crisis rocking the leadership of Egba Muslim Community, Orijoreporter gathered from reliable sources.
The said monetary inducements from the candidates and the partial and non-disclosure of the various sums that attended it on the recipients’ part, caused the suspension hovering over the grand Chief Imam of Egbaland, Abeokuta, Sheik Sa’dallah Bamgbola(pictured) sources acquainted with the trouble revealed.
A faction led by former Sokoto State Military Governor, Navy Captain Rasheed Raji handed down its suspension of Bamgbola on Monday.
The camp made up of Egba Muslim chiefs levelled misappropriation of funds, tyranny and conflict of interest against the embattled Chief Imam and named Alhaji Daud Durojaye Afuwape to stand in for him.
The situation got messy on Tuesday as the faction loyal to Bamgbola, consisting of the three principal Chief Imams; the Chief Imam of Oke Ona, Alhaji Mulimudeen Nasirudeen, Chief Imam of Gbagura, Prof. Kamarudeen Balogun, and the Chief Imam of Owu, Alhaji Kehinde Suliamon contradicted Raji’s group’s pronouncement at a press conference in Abeokuta.
Speaking on behalf of the camp, Prof. Balogun said the Raji’s faction’s action is ultra vires. It also passed vote of confidence in Bamgbola.
“We, the Chief Imam of Oke Ona, Alhaji Mulimudeen Nasirudeen, Chief Imam of Gbagura, Prof Kamarudeen Balogun and the Chief Imam of Owu, Alhaji Kehinde Suliamon on behalf on behalf of all Egba Muslims hereby pass a vote of confidence in the Chief Imam of Egbaland, Alhaji Alade Bamgbola as the only custodian of Islamic religion in Egbaland.
“We unequivocally condemn the action of the selected Chiefs in Egbaland to suspend the Chief Imam of Egbaland without proper consultations with all the Imams in all the sections of Egbaland.
“The selected Egba chiefs, led by Navy Captain Rasheed Raji has no power to suspend the grand Chief Imam of Egbaland who was unanimously appointed by all custodians of Islamic religion in Egbaland.
“The Chief Imam of Egbaland, Alhaji Bamgbola should be virtue of all the principal Imams in Egbaland and by virtue of the position that you have taken here, the Imams and Alfas to continue carry out all the spiritual functions of the Islamic region without any hindrance,” the Chief Imam of Gbagura remarked.
