Pan-Yoruba leaders from various groups, including artisans, workers, students, community-based groups, traders, professionals, and self-determination groups, have expressed their opposition to the introduction of Sharia Law in Yorubaland.
They see this as a deliberate attempt to destabilise the region by sponsoring divisive and retrogressive proposals that could lead to unrest in the South-West.
This was revealed in a statement jointly signed by the leaders of 29 pan-Yoruba groups, which included the Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movements, O’odua Nationalist Coalition, South West Professional Forum, and Federation for Yoruba Consciousness and Culture.
They showed their admiration for Islam, which they highlighted had supported education, health, and welfare in Yorubaland since the 14th century, but also stated that they intend to fight the imposition of Sharia on the multi-religious territory.
The statement partly read, “We recognise the right to debate the future of the children of Oduduwa and the right to free speech as exemplified in the constitution of Nigeria and in the timeless culture of Yorubaland; free expression, including the right to faith, has been an integral part of Yoruba civilisation, dating back to close to 2,000 years, a cherished heritage that we have defended and will continue to defend with every pint of our blood.
“We have observed the current proposal, by a tiny group of people, backed by largely non-Yoruba domestic and international collaborators pushing for the introduction of Sharia in Yorubaland.
“We state clearly that the introduction of Sharia cannot improve the economic, political, social, and cultural deficit in Yorubaland. Yorubaland, though seen as the most economically developed territory in West Africa, attained this feat not through theocracy but by the hard work, commitment, and determination of our forefathers, who were both Muslims, Christians, and traditional worshippers.”
The Yoruba leaders also stated, “We, the true representatives of Yoruba people, hereby strongly oppose the introduction of Sharia in any part of Oduduwaland of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Kogi, Edo, Kwara, and Ondo States.
“Sharia is not feasible and can never be acceptable to a multi-religious, multi-faith people like the Yoruba; Sharia is only applicable in societies where Islam is the state religion or the majority of the people profess Islam.”
The leaders accused the proponents of Sharia in the South West of a plan “to destabilise the South West and uproot the very foundation of democracy” and attributed this to political intrigue “sponsored by vested interests, aimed at polarising the political and electoral fortunes of the Yoruba nation.”
Tensions over the implementation of Sharia law in the South-West erupted in December 2024, after a leaflet from Nigeria’s Supreme Council for Shari’ah went popular online.
The flier advertised the planned launch of a Sharia court in Oyo State on January 11, 2025.
The announcement drew outcry from Yoruba groups and online users, prompting the Oyo State chapter of the Islamic Council to postpone the inauguration indefinitely.
In a following press statement, Dr. Bello Adisa, head of the Islamic group’s committee, stated that the proposed arbitration panel—similar to those already in operation in other parts of the South-West—was strictly designed to resolve family conflicts among consenting Muslims.
“It is not a court. We deeply regret any inconvenience caused by this misrepresentation and the subsequent postponement,” Adisa said.
