The Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo State has expressed its reservations on the comments credited to a popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Muhydeen Bello, regarding the situation in the state under the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration.
The Oyo State chapter of the PDP, on Thursday described Bello’s comments as uncharitable and unfair.
Bello had stated in a sermon which he delivered at the maiden annual Ishaq Abiola Ajimobi memorial Ramadan lecture, on Wednesday at the Abiola Ajimobi Central Mosque, Oke Ado, Ibadan that since the administration of the former governor wound up in May 2019, no notable development had happened in Oyo State.
However, the PDP in a press statement signed by its state Publicity Secretary, Akeem Olatunji, on Thursday, described the sermon as one inspired by royalty.
It read that the cleric’s viewpoints were against true teachings of Islam and the spirit of Ramadan considering what it called, “the rapid infrastructural developments being undertaken by Governor Seyi Makinde adminstration.”
The PDP, in the statement noted that it was unfortunate that the cleric who failed to speak up during the dark days of Oyo State under the last administration when the one milion boys reigned with civil servants and pensioners dying due to unpaid salaries and entitlement, now expresses his political sentiments at the detriment of the people.
The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to some very uncharitable, unsubstantiated, unfair, and financially inspired sermon credited to Sheikh Muhydeen Ajani Bello at the annual Abiola Ajimobi memorial Ramadan lecture which held on Wednesday, in Ibadan.
“We ordinarily would not have given a reply a thought out of respect for the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan but we chose to put records in proper perspective by reacting to the commercial sermon so as to avoid the cleric creating wrong impressions in the minds of our beloved Muslim brothers based on the sensitiveness of the commercial sermon.
“Considering the Holy month of Ramadan in which Muslims are humbly observing fasting, any true cleric is charged with the duty of spreading the gospel of love, peace, and truth will intensify sermons on lifting the already down spirits of Nigerians who have already gone through a lot under the APC led Federal Government, so much that the call to divide Nigeria by some sections of the country reached its record peak.
“The good people of Oyo state who had perhaps expected to hear soul lifting sermon from the cleric would by now be left in serious disappointment because the present government which the Sheikh Bello tried to discredit was enthroned by the people who rejected APC by not only throwing out their government and with the various heart-rending activities of herdsmen on farmers and bandits on the Nigeria people, its preposterous that Sheikh Muhydeen Bello has failed to call out the non-perfoming President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.
“Government is indeed continuum and as much as we are constrained to abstain from speaking at all about the dead, we are compelled to make certain clarifications for the purpose of education and better understanding of how other western countries develop.
“The present PDP government under Governor Makinde believes strongly in purposeful leadership which is why it is strategically making necessary corrections on rehabilitations and reconstruction of critical infrastructures where the last administration failed to deliver on quality and durable ones instead of abandoning them and starting up new ones to gain cheap political scores like APC would do.
“On the issue of legacy, what tangible legacy and positive development is he ascribing to an Ajimobi administration which left the state in unprecedented debts without tangible projects to show for it? In the city of Ibadan, the state capital, the evidence of decay, abandoned projects and lack of foresight by the administration are more than evident.
“Since Sheikh has suddenly found his voice to justify the money received from the organizers of the memorial lecture to deliver sermon during this Holy month, we advise the commercial cleric to channel his energy to join his voice with other Nigerians clamouring for good governance from the APC led Federal Government before the divisive elements calling to divide Nigeria have their way because Seyi Makinde is already leading the way by examplary leadership.”
The party alleged that his assessment was inspired by the gratification he received from the organizers of the programme where he spoke.
