Sharia Panels Will Cause War In South-West – Gani Adams
A Yoruba self-determination group, Yoruba One Voice, led by the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has voiced its opinion against the call for the introduction of Sharia law in parts of the South-West.
The group warned that such a move could destabilise the region and threaten Nigeria’s already fragile pluralism.
The group’s position was contained in a communique issued at the end of YOV’s international virtual conference with the theme “Sharia Law in Yorubaland: Setting Things Straight through Restructuring.”
Presided over by Adams, who is YOV Convener, the conference brought together members of the YOV Global Coordinating Council, the General Assembly, critical stakeholders, and prominent Yoruba sons and daughters across the diaspora.
According to the communique, regional autonomy and restructuring remain the only viable paths to ensuring peaceful coexistence and sustainable development in Nigeria.
Participants maintained that if the political class continued to resist calls for true federalism, the Yoruba people may be left with no option but to pursue complete political independence.
Speaking at the event, Adams condemned efforts to implement Sharia law in Yoruba territory, describing them as a ploy to “weaponise religion” for political purposes.
He warned that such moves could fuel unrest and embolden extremist tendencies in the region.
“Introducing Sharia law will not improve our economic, political, or cultural fortunes,” Adams said. “It could shatter the peace of our land, force our youth into violence, and spark crises similar to what is happening in other parts of the country.”
The conference also issued several key recommendations, including a call for comprehensive constitutional amendments to decentralise control of local government and economic resources, reduce the federal burden, and empower grassroots governance.
It stressed that any religious court system must remain voluntary, civil in nature, and operate within the bounds of human rights laws.
Delivering the keynote lecture, Prof. Oluwafemi Obayori acknowledged the historical presence of Islamic law in parts of Yorubaland, such as Ilorin, but warned that recent attempts to institutionalise political Sharia in the region represented a “cultural offensive” rather than a spiritual revival.
He cautioned that the unregulated spread of Sharia panels, suppression of traditional religious practices, and marginalisation of indigenous festivals like Isese posed significant risks to cultural identity and national unity.
Echoing this view, Prof. Kolawole Raheem, a technical adviser to YOV, noted that while Yoruba Muslims deserve faith-based dispute resolution mechanisms, such systems must not override Nigeria’s secular legal framework or infringe on others’ rights.
Raheem further argued that in northern states where political Sharia has taken root since 1999, non-Muslims have often faced systemic discrimination — a scenario that must not be replicated in the South-West.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
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