The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has vehemently opposed the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe’s order to dissolve the Ekiti State Shari’ah Panel, describing it as a blatant violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The order was issued on Saturday, January 25, 2025, after the monarch summoned the Chief Imam of Ado Ekiti, Shaykh Jamiu Kewulere, to his palace.
According to MURIC Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, “The Ewi’s order is an affront to Section 38(i)&(ii) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which guarantees freedom of religion.
“It is therefore illegal, illegitimate, unlawful and unconstitutional. It is draconian, unknown to democratic norms and alien to global best practices.”
Akintola further emphasised that the Ewi’s statement, “Let’s disband the committee, it doesn’t exist and it will never exist.”
MURIC condemns the usurpation of executive power by the traditional ruler of Ado-Ekiti, labeling it as despicable, preposterous, and outrageous.
Akintola stressed that the problem with Nigeria lies in the impunity of leaders who disregard the rule of law, instead following their whims and caprices.
“The problem with Nigeria is the impunity of leaders who fail to respect the rule of law but follow their whims and caprices. This is why we continue to have problems and there will be no solution until our leaders learn how to respect the rule of law and the principles of justice, fairness and equity,” Akintola said.