By: Alhaji Agba
The arrangement to pick/appoint the grand Chief Imam of Ogbomoso, then, was at the discretion and done by the monarch, the Soun Ogbomoso himself who picks from the six stocks that have always laid claim to the islamic most exalted position in the ancient town.
This arrangement that has never been contested from the time immemorial was rotated among the six families of Musifa, Bango, Abogunde, Aduin, Alawiye and Ayilara who holds sway in turn.
The understanding and maturity that all the concerned have displayed in the peaceful town that once produced the premier of the defunct Western region and Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Chief Ladoke Akintola and the former governor of Oyo State, Chief Alao Akala is now under threat of unrest and possible total collapse unless immediate action is imbibed and taken by the stakeholders including governments at all levels.
As it is, two Grand Chief imams have been announced and are presently calling the shots.
One Grand Chief Imam, Dr. Toliat Yunus Ayilara was turbaned by the immediate former Soun, Alhaji Jimoh Oladunni Oyewunmi (Jagungbade III) while the other Grand Chief Imam, his kin, Habeeb Mahmud Usman Ayilara was also turbaned by the present Soun, Pastor Ghandi Olaoye Arumogege III who branded him Palace Imam (without mosque.)
The emergence of another Grand Chief Imam after the turbaning of Dr. Toliat, one year after, not only queried the reason, but also raised the dust in the sleekly town by the supporters of the two religious leaders who have threatened showdowns should their preferred candidates at the end not upheld.
It all started three years ago when the former monarch gave Muslims the leave to always pick their grand chief imam from then on. The favour was celebrated round the town and beyond because the era of favouritism and godfatherism was gone, the leaders would henceforth be considered and picked by the major stakeholders like versed scholars, religious societal heads and the Islamic youths among others.
It must also be recalled that Soun Oyewunmi added a clause to the process of appointing a Grand Chief Imam which was the academic prowess of such personality. He instructed the committee saddled with the appointment of new Islamic religious leader to always ensure that their choice be thoroughly educated.
The condition, led to the discovery of a PhD holder, Toliat Yunus Ayilara, who was then the Chief Imam of Adiam memorial Central Mosque in Iporo-Ake in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
He was summoned home by the Muslim Community who in the spirit of fairness, threw the contest open to all interested aspirants in Ayilara family.
“Since it was the turn of the Ayilara family to produce new Grand Chief Imam, we called for interests and four people eventually indicated interests,” the chairman Ogbomoso Muslim Community, Alhaji Akintoye Areago Onisaapa, told The Weekend Guardian.
He stated further that the family screened the aspirants that included Habeeb Usman Mahmud Ayilara, only to later announced the victory of Dr. Toliat.
“This didn’t go down well with some members of the family who protested the emergence of Toliat. They came to us at the council and we in our little capacity urged for peace and conducted our own re-screening procedures conducted by a four-man Committee headed by Sheikh Rasheed Abdulazeez.
“Other members were Shaikh Alim AbdulWahab (former acting chief imam after the demise of Sheikh AbdulYakeen Ashafa in 2021;) Alhaji Mikhail Bello and AbdulRazaq who served as the secretary,” Areago recalled.
He stated further that, “the committee again declared Toliat winner,” adding that Toliat was at this juncture turbaned by Oba Oyewunmi in his palace at the event well attended by all and sundry.
Ironically, it was a year (after the turbaning of Toliat by Late Oba Oyewunmi,) that some members of Ayilara family rose to contest Toliat’s paternity.
The circumstance was so grave that Toliat’s mother was summoned to the Soun’s Palace where she was said to have been quizzed.
“When she came here, I remember she told all of us that she never married twice, that she was only married into Ayilara family. She even said that all her children were for Ayilara family,” a source in the Palace (names withheld) told our reporter.
Our reporter gathered that Oba Ghandi had initially accepted the paternity claim of the Imam but for some family members who insisted that “he must go”, he became skeptical about it.
Not that the Kabiyesi willingly reopened the case against the Grand Chief Imam, he was said to be forced to it especially when an undisclosed member of the family informed the monarch that he partook in forging the academic certificates for the Grand Chief Imam. “This couldn’t be swept under the rug, forcing Kabiyesi to change his mind and position,” another Palace source hinted.
Our reporter gathered that if not for the high handedness of the Imam, the rebellion from many corners wouldn’t have arisen.
For instance, some islamic leaders who were later discovered fueling the existing disunity have at several occasions cautioned the Grand Chief Imam for his fearless outbursts on the pulpit. He is said to have always directed his sermons and preachings against traditional institutions and those found wanting in accountability and responsibility.
The League of Imams made up of Scholars also stood against the Imam because he refused to join the group despite several entreaties.
“Rather than join as an ordinary member, he requested to be the chairman, reasoning that he as the Grand Chief Imam, he won’t be an ordinary member to be controlled and ordered by his subordinates in ranking,” a source who preferred anonymity confided in our reporter.
Aside this, Dr. Toliat on assumption of office was also said to have directed the League of Imams and other islamic groups to register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC,) insisting on the disbandment of any group with contrary view.
This, no doubt generated heat while the Muslim Community made several moves to douse the tension that in no small measure threatened the existing peace among Muslims.
Consequently, a high-powered peace committee involving Dr. Saka Adegbite Balogun; Senator Hamzat Ayoade Adeosun; Alhaji AbdulHameed Monsur Ejide and Alhaji AbdulRazaq Sadik also attempted to find lasting peace to the ravaging crisis.
Also, Islamic Muslim Community (IMC) too said it has made four different moves to quell the crises that linger till the moment, saying: “we as Muslims had about four meetings to resolve it.”
Observers however said the monarch has been waiting patiently to launch Imam Habeeb into the community as the new Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomoso at the slightest opportunity.
According to them, his (Soun’s) affiliation with his own favoured Imam Habeeb especially when he allegedly seized the town’s eid-ground for Habeeb to lead the annual prayer.
Meanwhile, before then, it has been Dr. Toliat who has been leding the prayer. This was seen and regarded by many as affront and a direct poke on the chests of the supporters and allies of the grand chief imam.
Aside the indidual peace moves, the Sultan of Sokoto, Emir Abubakar Sa’ad too had made move by raising a committee headed by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB,) Professor Iziaq Oloyede who alongside his members met the warring Muslims in Ilorin.
The committee met with 32 members each from the two warriors – Toliat and Habeeb at the end of which three people were picked from each side to return home (Ogbomoso) and find lasting solutions to the lingering disunity,” they have not met since three weeks ago they were directed,” Areago of the IMC regretted.
He described the happenings as a stain on Islam, “this is like ridiculing Islam because the king that denied our Grand Chief Imam is a Christian,” Areago declared.
He however recalled: “similar situation once happened during Oba Oyewunmi’s era when there was a crisis with the Christians, they came to him for his position, he bluntly said ‘since i am a Muslim, i won’t be in a good position to be involved.'”
The last straw to the face-off between the Palace and Dr.Toliat happened this year when tge Federal Government picked the islamic leader as one of the spiritual delegates to hajj in Saudi Arabia.
For not taking parmission from the monarch, he was said to have been asked to return home amidst the (then) ongoing spiritual exercise.
The Imam couldn’t make it home as spontaneously demanded by the Kabiyesi. This confirmed the erstwhile managed cold-war between the duo as the monarch is alleged to have immediately blocked his phone lines as well as refused audience with him.
When confronted, an ally of the Imam asked: “how could he have taken permission from him (king) when he wouldn’t see him and has blocked his phone?”
In the search for lasting solution that would ensure the elusive peace among muslims, the Akeweje Musulimi Ogbomoso, Alhaji Biliaminu Olubukola Badmus alleged that the refusal of Dr. Toliat to share the monies donated to the course of Islam with some high-ranking Muslims led to their supports for his oppossers.
He alleged: “monies donated to the building and maintaining the central mosque were being mismanaged before the emergence of Imam Toliat but all this he blocked when he came on board, that is the bane of the crisi.”
He however threatened crisis and general unrest should the monarch eventually make do with the plan to launch Imam Habeeb into the central mosque.
According to him: “the ongoing crisis has described us as as disorganised organisation. Kabiyesi should just forgive us wherever and however we might have erred and allow peace to return because there will be war in Ogbomoso
“This is a case of a thief that stole the King’s trumpet, where will he blow it? If Habeeb is eventually made the Grand Chief Imam, we youths will resist him be cause we as youths have decided to go along with Toliat as our Grand Chief imam,” Akeweje Musulumi declared.
However, as tension continue to brew and the storm gathers in Ogbomoso, the monarch who initially asked our reporter to come down to Ogbomoso to book appointment with the palace secretary for his side of the story, eventually refused commenting on the imbroiglo, telling The Weekend Guardian via WhatsApp text that the battleground for the case has been shifted to the court, saying: “Greetings, I am out of Ogbomosholand, the case is still in court so I cannot comment on it.”
On why then the invitation to Ogbomoso, Soun replied: “I am sorry about that…it was a mix up.”
