Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Alhaja Dr Lateefat Oyeyemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, has issued a passionate and unflinching appeal to Muslims across the state, urging them to reject vote-buying, money politics and violence, and to participate actively in the 2027 general elections to elect morally upright leaders. She made the call on Thursday, October 1, 2026, in Ake, Abeokuta, shortly after her decoration as Grand Matron of the Ogun State Muslim Council, Egba Zone, describing the honour as a demonstration of the confidence and affection of the Muslim community. The ceremony, held at the Ake Palace, drew Muslim leaders, political stakeholders, traditional figures and community members under the theme, "Socio-Economic Stability: A Fortress for Global Security."
Sowunmi-Kolapo, who is also the Iya Suna of Egba Land and running mate to PDP governorship candidate Ladi Adebutu, used the occasion to broaden her message from religious leadership to civic and political participation. She said Muslim leaders, families and youths must recognise the importance of political engagement in protecting their interests and heritage in the state. "Let us tell our wards and our children, there should be no violence. Everybody should go out to exercise their civic rights and ensure that those they want actually emerge," she said. She stressed that religious leaders and community members could not afford to assume that their interests would be automatically protected without active involvement in the political process. "An elder was telling me something when I went to visit him. He said Muslim leaders or religious leaders should not sit back and think that they will hand over everything they seek to them on a platter of gold," she recounted. "If you don't struggle for power, some oppressors will use the same power to destroy you, which is why we say our power is in our votes."
The PDP deputy governorship candidate warned against money politics, noting that politicians who distribute money during elections may seek greater favours after assuming office. "So, everybody should ensure that this time around, they participate in the election. They shouldn't sit back and say, 'Oh, they will write the votes, somebody will write the votes.' It is what you do that will count," she said. She urged the Muslim community to come out en masse during elections, exercise their civic rights peacefully and vote for candidates of their choice, while also canvassing support for Adebutu and other PDP candidates. Sowunmi-Kolapo explained that her installation as Grand Matron was in line with the tradition of the Egba Muslim community, noting that the Iya Suna of Egba was expected to serve as the Grand Matron of the Ogun State Muslim Council. She said her new responsibility was particularly significant because she was succeeding the late former Iya Suna, Chief Mrs Khadijat. "It is a great honour to step into the former Iya Suna, Chief Mrs Khadijat, who is now late. I just pray that Almighty Allah guides my steps and makes everything fruitful at the end of the day," she said. She also expressed appreciation to members of the Muslim community for their support. "The Muslim community, I'll just say thank you to them because the shower of love and support that I got from them from the beginning of this journey is unprecedented and I don't take it for granted."
In his keynote lecture, the Mufti of Ilorin, Sheikh Farouq Sulaiman Onikijipa, urged governments at all levels to invest more in education, noting that it remains critical to national stability. Onikijipa decried the high cost of education at both private and public institutions and called on government to make education more accessible to promote stability. Speaking on the theme, he said morality must be prioritised in leadership selection. "For us to have stability in anything, we must choose a leader who is morally upright; who will not pocket public funds or take advantage of others for personal benefit," he said. He called on politicians to shun campaigns of calumny and urged youths to embrace knowledge acquisition so as not to be used as tools of destruction for political interests.
Earlier in her remarks, the PDP senatorial candidate for Ogun Central, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, described Sowunmi-Kolapo as a community builder and moulder of greater generations for Egbaland. She said the current political struggle was not about fighting but about reorganising the affairs of the state and not mortgaging the future of Ogun State for money. Obasanjo said the political contest in Ogun should focus on improving governance and protecting the state's future rather than turning elections into a struggle driven by violence or financial inducement. She urged stakeholders to approach the political process with responsibility and avoid actions that could compromise the interests of future generations.
Sowunmi-Kolapo's installation comes amid heightened political activity in Ogun State ahead of the 2027 general elections. The PDP flagged off its governorship campaign in September 2026 at the Ake Palace Pavilion in Abeokuta, with Adebutu and Sowunmi-Kolapo presenting a seven-point agenda for the state. Iyabo Obasanjo, the daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, returned to the PDP in June 2026 and secured the party's ticket for Ogun Central Senatorial District. The Muslim Council event, coming on the same day as Nigeria's 66th Independence Day anniversary, underscored the intersection of faith, politics and civic responsibility in a state where religious leaders wield significant influence over their communities.
The message from the Muslim Council event was clear. Vote-buying, violence and political apathy are not just electoral offences. They are threats to the future of the Muslim community in Ogun State. Sowunmi-Kolapo's appeal to Muslims to reject money politics and participate actively in the electoral process is a call to action that resonates far beyond the walls of the Ake Palace. It is a reminder that the power to determine who governs lies not with those who distribute money at polling units, but with those who vote. "Our power is in our votes," she said. Whether that message will translate into action at the polls in 2027 remains to be seen. For now, the PDP deputy governorship candidate has drawn a line in the sand, and she is challenging the Muslim community to cross it with her.
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