The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has urged political parties in the South West to field Muslim candidates in the 2027 governorship elections, insisting that the region has suffered what it described as “religious imbalance” in recent years.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the group argued that Christians have exclusively occupied governorship seats across all six states of the region in the past six years, leaving Muslims politically marginalised.
“There has been religious imbalance in the administration of all the South Western states in the past six years, as all of them brandish Christian governors to date,” Akintola said.
According to him, the situation has created “a wide disconnect between state governments and the Muslim populace,” noting that Muslims have also been excluded “at both executive and administrative levels of governance.”
The Islamic rights group maintained that such exclusion undermines the principles of democracy, which thrives on inclusion, representation and balance.
MURIC therefore advised political parties to give Muslims a fair shot at the governorship race, stressing that it would not only correct the imbalance but also guarantee bloc votes from the Muslim community.
“We therefore advise political parties in the region to pick Muslims as their gubernatorial candidates. This will serve as a guarantee to secure Muslim votes in their gubernatorial elections,” Akintola added.
The call is expected to stir political debates in the build-up to 2027, particularly in a region known for its delicate balancing of religion and politics.
