Muslim leaders, imams and worshippers in Ijemo have endorsed Hajia Lateefat Oyeyemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, praising her record as Ameerah of Ijemoland and Iya Sunnah of Egbaland and backing her bid to become Ogun State deputy governor.
They said her work before the election season suggested that Ogun would offer better prospects for its residents if she were elected alongside the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu.
The endorsement was made during the Ijemo community’s 2026 Maulud Nabiyy celebration. Speakers said Adebutu had improved people’s lives across the state for years despite not holding public office and would achieve more if elected.
The colourful Islamic gathering brought together imams, Alfas, community leaders, women’s organisations and young people from Ijemo and Egbaland at the historic Ita Baayinbo Mosque to commemorate the Holy Prophet.
Several speakers described Sowunmi-Kolapo as a pioneer in both religious leadership and philanthropy.
Calls for Ijemo to support its candidate
- In his welcome remarks, the Chief Imam of Ijemoland, Alhaji Sheikh Nojeemdeen Wale Bakenne, said the occasion carried significance beyond its religious meaning because of its implications for Ijemo’s political future.
- He said Ijemo had never produced an Ogun governor and had not had a deputy governor since the late Chief Sesan Soluade. With Alhaja Lateefat selected as running mate to a capable governorship candidate, he urged residents to support her campaign to become deputy governor.
- Sheikh Bakenne said Ijemo had benefited from Sowunmi-Kolapo’s generosity long before she received recognition as a Muslim leader in the community. He described her philanthropy and open-handedness as without equal in Ijemo’s history.
- He added that she had cared for and shown respect to Ijemo people and other sons and daughters of Ogun who had met her, while dedicating her resources to serving God.
- The Chief Imam also said Sowunmi-Kolapo, Ogun’s first Ameerah General, was widely respected as a committed Muslim leader and community trailblazer and came from distinguished families on both sides of her lineage.
Alhaji AbdulAkeem Owolabi Mustapha, chairman of the occasion, said Islam should be assessed through a person’s conduct and contribution to humanity. He presented Sowunmi-Kolapo as an example of authentic Islamic leadership.
Mustapha said faith was reflected in how people lived and behaved, adding that the Iya Sunnah had led by example and helped many people. He said serving and advancing one’s homeland was also a religious responsibility.
Sowunmi-Kolapo’s appeal
In her response, Sowunmi-Kolapo said she was pleased to be among her kinsmen and proud of her Ijemo heritage.
She described the gathering as a day of happiness and celebration, saying the Quran, like Islam, provided a way of life as taught by the Prophet.
She called on Muslim voters to preserve their heritage and use the approaching governorship election to support the PDP ticket of Ladi Adebutu and herself. She cautioned them not to be influenced by what she called misleading claims circulated by rival candidates.
Sowunmi-Kolapo said Muslims had repeatedly complained of exclusion from government and other areas of public life but now had the power to alter that position. She urged them to think about the future even as they marked the celebration.
She also warned against divisive political conduct and unquestioning allegiance to political parties, arguing that historical truth and the interests of the community should take priority.
She said political participation should not create conflict and that party loyalty must not lead people to distort the history of Ogun State. Although the people remained united, she added, political choices should be made carefully and intelligently.
Sowunmi-Kolapo told the gathering that 2027 offered a defining opportunity for Ijemo, Abeokuta, Ogun State and Muslims to regain what she described as their proper role in governance.
She urged those present to tell the wider public that the moment belonged to Ijemo, Abeokuta, Ogun and Islam.
The Maulud programme concluded with prayers for peace, unity and development in Ogun State, the welfare of Ijemo and the success of the coming elections. Clerics also prayed for the Prophet’s intercession in support of Sowunmi-Kolapo’s political aspirations and for the nation as a whole.
Related navigation
- Newer: “Kolapo urges Ogun indigenes not to let politics take away their heritage”
- Older
Headline: “Kolapo urges Ogun indigenes not to let politics take away their heritage.”
