Ilorin not for Muslims only, says OPC

The Oodua Peoples Congress has advised that the capital of Kwara State should be relocated from Ilorin if Muslims continue to insist that Ilorin is an Islamic city and that traditional religious worshippers are not allowed to practise their faith.

The Kwara State Coordinator of the OPC New Era, Bayo Fabiyi, made the call in a statement on Sunday.

“There are Muslims in other places cohabiting with others without crises or disturbances.

“Therefore, if Ilorin is the only place where isese becomes a challenge, the status of Ilorin as a state capital should be changed while the ancient town can be allowed to remain purely an Islamic place because of all towns in Kwara, only Ilorin is where Islamic extremism thrives,” he said.

Fabiyi, however, called for patience and tolerance on the part of traditionalists, saying they should not fight back.

Meanwhile, traditional worshippers in Ekiti State, on Sunday, renewed their call on the state government to declare August 20 a national public holiday for Isese festival.

The traditional worshippers lauded the governments of Lagos, Osun, Oyo and Ogun states who had recognised the day and declared a holiday.

Speaking on behalf of the group, the Awise (Speaker) of the National Council of Iseselagba in Ekiti State, Dauda Lawal, said, “We appeal to Governor Biodun Oyebanji, who is a people’s governor, to, like his counterparts in other South-West states, declare public holiday for Isese so that we can have time to celebrate the yearly event.”

Punchng.com