* Photo: Professor Ishaq Akintola, MURIC Executive Director*
An Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has declared its non-partisan status in the light of party primaries conducted in Ogun State as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections.
The group’s declaration of neutrality followed a congratulatory message issued by its Ogun State branch after the emergence of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola-YAYI as the consensus gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) .
In a rejoinder signed by Professor Ishaq Akintola, the Executive Director of the organization on Thursday, 16th April, 2026, MURIC headquarters said:
”We are constrained to issue a rejoinder following a congratulatory message issued by the Ogun State branch of our organization after the emergence of Senator Solomon Yayi as the consensus gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, 14th April, 2026.
”We affirm that Ogun State branch of our organization followed due process but there was an administrative glitche at headquarters due to a momentary delegation of roles.
”The Executive Director of MURIC hereby takes full responsibility for the administrative skip. We are aware of the concerns raised by stakeholders including other political parties. We admit that the wordings could have been couched differently. We assure all stakeholders that MURIC is sensitive to the feelings of all aspirants regardless of their political leanings.
”We therefore apologize to all those who may have been offended one way or another by the publication.
“Nonetheless, and despite the setback in Ogun State, we remain committed to our call on political parties to pick Muslims as their gubernatorial candidates in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Osun. We expect Ekiti and Ondo to give Muslims the deputy governorship slot.
”MURIC is not a political body though we reserve every right not only to promote but also to protect the interest of Nigerian Muslims. We are also aware that in doing so, we must not be seen to tilt towards a particular political party.
”Our policy on relationship with political parties is encapsulated in the words of Abraham Lincoln who, in his second inaugural address on March 4, 1865, said,
’With malice towards none, with charity for all’.
“Without prejudice to the development in Ogun State, therefore, we charge other political parties in the state who have not picked gubernatorial candidates to take advantage of the situation on ground. We are not under any obligation whatsoever to favour any political party and a congratulatory message is not necessarily an endorsement. It is an expression of goodwill. No more, no less.”