• You’ve no power to query me, Chief Imam fires back
The Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye, an ordained pastor of RCCG, formerly based in the United States, has formally queried the Chief Imam of Ogbomoso, Sheikh Taliat Yunus Olusina Ayilara, for failing to notify him before embarking on the recent Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
The development comes amid the ongoing row in Ogbomoso kingdom.
The incident, Muslim News gathered is the latest in a series of disagreements between the two leaders over the past few months.
In a query dated June 10, 2024, Oba Olaoye expressed disappointment and concern over the Chief Imam’s alleged breach of a pre-existing agreement.
The agreement, signed before Sheikh Ayilara’s appointment, required him to notify the Soun before leaving Ogbomoso for any purpose, including religious duties like the Hajj pilgrimage.
The query, signed by the palace Secretary, Toyin Ajamu, also highlighted that the Chief Imam unilaterally appointed an acting Chief Imam during his absence, further violating the terms of the agreement and exacerbating the situation.
The query reads in part, “I refer to the earlier query issued to you with regards to your unbecoming and reprehensible conducts as Chief Imam Agba of Ogbomosoland and the need to desist from such conducts.
“You will recall that on your appointment as Chief Imam Agba of Ogbomosoland you signed an undertaking and agreement which you agreed will be binding on you.
“In the said undertaking, you unequivocally undertook to inform the Soun of Ogbomoso before traveling outside Ogbomoso.
“However, we have been informed that you are currently in Mecca on a Holy pilgrimage without notifying the Soun. This is a clear violation of your undertaking.
“Secondly, you agreed not to appoint any surrogate during your tenure without the approval of His Royal Majesty, Soun of Ogbomoso.”
The Chief Imam of Ogbomoso, Sheikh Teliat Yinus Avilara however told the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye, that the office of the Chief Imam is not a traditional title.
Ayilara noted that the Chief Imam is not under the control of the Soun of Ogbomoso, hence, Soun has no power to query him.
Ayilara, in the letter signed by his secretary, Ogunleye Sulaimon Ajasa, insisted that as a Muslim and spiritual head of the Muslim community in Ogbomoso, he is not subjugating the rules regulating the practice of Islam to Yoruba tradition and culture.
According to him, “My case is that the office of Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland is not a traditional title, and as such, it is not under the control of Soun of Ogbomosoland.
“My case against your majesty is still in court. And I strongly believe that when a matter is in court, the parties in the case must respect the authority of the court by abstaining from anything that may affect the case in court.
“Your majesty calling on me to revert the appointment of those Muslim brethren I installed as Grand Mufti of Ogbomosoland, Amirul Wa’izin of Ogbomosoland, Khadimul-Islam of Ogbomosoland and Kanzul ‘Ulama’ of Ogbomosoland, to immediately return to Nigeria and rectify the appointment of acting Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland I made is directly related to the case in court and I think the court must be respected.
“I also need to state that I am responding to your Majesty’s letters out of deep respect I have for Yoruba culture and tradition.
“However, as a Muslim and spiritual head of the Muslim community in Ogbomosoland, I am not subjugating the rules regulating the practice of Islam to Yoruba tradition and culture. It is a collective right of all Muslims. Kabiesi, I have forwarded the letters to my lawyers for onward transmission to the court. God bless Ogbomosoland, God bless Oyo State and God bless Nigeria at large.”
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The ongoing feud between the Soun of Ogbomoso and Chief Imam Sheikh Ayilara has its roots in a legal dispute that began when Ayilara sued the monarch and the Soun In-Council to challenge their attempts to remove him from his position as Grand Chief Imam.
Ayilara, who was installed in November 2021 under the previous Soun, claims his appointment was legitimate and in accordance with Islamic principles, having been sanctioned by the Surah committee of Ogbomoso’s Muslim community.
However, the dispute escalated after the new Soun’s ascension to the throne in September 2023, who contested Ayilara’s continued tenure as Chief Imam.
Ayilara’s legal action, filed at the Oyo State High Court, aims to secure his position and highlights a significant conflict between religious independence and traditional authority in Ogbomoso.
Through his lawsuit, Ayilara emphasises the need for adherence to Islamic principles in the appointment of Imams and seeks judicial intervention to safeguard against what he considers an unlawful attempt by the Soun and his council to remove him from office, underscoring the importance of upholding religious autonomy in the face of traditional authority.
I think we need to make available the purported sign agreement with the immediate past Soun to see how it was crafted.. Secondly, when was the Chief imam or any other positions in the Muslim community became under the command of Soun in Ogbomosho land. Thirdly, it is important that the Muslim community rise to correct all these anomalies and ditto to all other areas in Yoruba land .