OGBOMOSO — Concern is mounting among political stakeholders in Ogbomoso North over what they describe as an alleged attempt by Baba Saka Balogun to impose a religious agenda on the local government’s political leadership.
The stakeholders accused Baba Saka of allegedly prioritising religious considerations in the chairmanship discussion and warned that such an approach could weaken the party, create unnecessary division and damage its chances among voters.
According to the stakeholders, politics should be about competence, fairness, loyalty, performance and the ability to unite the people not about imposing candidates based on religious identity.
They particularly expressed concern over alleged remarks attributed to Baba Saka suggesting that Muslims, being the majority of voters in Ogbomoso, should determine who occupies the chairmanship position.
The stakeholders argued that such a position risks alienating Christian members and other groups who have contributed significantly to the growth and success of the party in Ogbomoso.
They therefore appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde and the party leadership to intervene before the situation escalates, urging them to prevent any individual from turning religion into a tool for political control.
“If Baba Saka continues on this path of allegedly imposing religious considerations on the party, he may end up weakening the same party he claims to be supporting. A political party cannot survive by excluding a section of its members because of their faith,” the stakeholders said.
They maintained that Ogbomoso has a long history of peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians and warned that political leaders must be careful not to introduce religious sentiments into matters that should be decided in the overall interest of the people.
The stakeholders called on Governor Makinde to urgently intervene and ensure that the chairmanship process remains transparent, fair and inclusive.
They stressed that the party needs unity to win elections, not religious division, adding that every qualified member should have an equal opportunity to serve irrespective of faith.
The stakeholders concluded by urging Baba Saka to reconsider his alleged position and work toward strengthening the party rather than creating divisions that could ultimately hurt its electoral prospects in Ogbomoso North.
