16th April , 2025
My attention has been drawn to a write-up entitled: “PETITION AGAINST THE ARROGANCY AND DISDAIN OF ALHAJI MURTALA ALIMI OTISESE, THE SELF IMPOSED, OBA YORUBA KANO, FOR CONSTITUTED AUTHORITIES, BOTH TRADITIONAL AND GOVERNMENTAL.” dated 1st April, 2025 and signed by Rabiu Yusuf, Abdulrafiu Alubankudi, Sikiru Adebisi, Olanrewaju Ojo and Bello Adewale.
Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have dignified the petition with a response but for the compelling need to set the records straight by dispelling the absolute falsehood contained therein and exposing underlying malicious intentions.
It is disconcerting that at a time Muslims the world over had just concluded the spiritual excercise of Ramadan, with supplications for forgiveness and fresh blessings, some forces of darkness were busy planning how to subvert the bonds and societal cohesion in Kano, a town that had graciously granted them the opportunity to thrive and flourish.
It is very unfortunate that these petitioners, in their fruitless venture to attain relevance and attract cheap patronage, could choose this dishonourable path, at the expense of the excellent reputation of their tribesmen, as well as the peace and harmony that had long prevailed among the Yoruba people in Kano vis-a-vis the Kano State government and their hosts in general.
Oba, Dr. Engr. Ambassador Murtala Alimi Otisese, Oba Yoruba of Kano, was born in Kano over six decades ago. He is now by the grace of God the royal father and leader of the Yoruba people in Kano. It is indisputable that he was duly appointed by his kinsmen first as Asiwaju Yoruba (leader of Yoruba) and Igbakeji Oba Yoruba (Second-In-Command to Oba) and later turbaned as substantive Oba on 12th November, 2020 with the approval and permission of the Kano Emirate Council headed by Emir of Kano, through the Hakimi Fagge, in an event well attended by residents as well as personalities from far and near across the six geo-political zones of the country.
Therefore, it is preposterous for these few aggrieved elements in the community to describe the Yoruba traditional ruler as a self-imposed Oba.
Furthermore, Oba MAO, as he is fondly called, is known to be a man of peace even before he attained the Obaship position, and he has continued to ensure that peace reigns among his people on the one hand, and his people and their hosts on the other for the overall growth and development of Kano State. He is also a man of honor with great respect for the laws of the land, the traditional institution and constituted authority. Hence, it amounts to standing logic on its head and a ridiculous inference that his actions had always been with the intent to usurp the powers and undermine the authority of the highly revered emir or go against the traditional institution of the ancient town and ultimately sabotage the peace and peaceful coexistence of the people and residents of Kano.
The truth is, the decision of Oba Otisese to wear the Alkimba regalia to Yoruba Community Yidi at Sabon Gari Stadium during the Eid Fitri prayers was to identify with the culture and behavioral pattern of his host community and not an affront to the highly respected Emir.
A man of immense passion for the welfare and well-being of his subjects, Oba MAO has touched the lives of thousands of Yorubas through various empowerment programmes, a mission he plans to extend to Yorubas in all the 44 local government areas of Kano State through a coordinator at each local government area, which his detractors misconstrued as “appointment of Hakimi (Baales) for the local governments without the Emirate consent.”
It is also pertinent to correct the idiotic narrative of these unpatriotic citizens that I was commissioned by Oba Otisese to petition the Directorate of Secret Service (DSS) against the State Government. I make bold to say that as a responsible and distinguished Yoruba man, who has contributed immensely to the upliftment of the community, I do not need the commissioning of anyone to do the right thing, to nip in the bud the evil plans of agents of retrogression as typified by this group. I have simply refused to watch while these wicked characters take advantage of a well-intentioned government resolution to wreak havoc. Of course, I have been vindicated. What they failed to achieve through the state government when the DSS bursted their evil plans, was what they had planned to achieve through the Emirate Council but they have failed again in spite of their antics.
I implore the Emirate Council to be wary of these rabble rousers and disregard their acrimonious tendencies.
Their desperate move to pressure the executive members of the Coalition of Yoruba Mosques (COYOM), comprising over 16 mosques to reinstall Monsuru Lafenwa (who had earlier been installed as Aare by Fitiatudeen Society of Somori-a-deen Mosque) a position recently vacated by Alhaji Surajudeen Adewuyi, is questionable and dubious, and as such should be disallowed.
Alhaji Adewuyi, a well-known frontliner in the propagation of Islam for over two decades with a track record of philanthropy, is a complete gentleman who exudes humility and command respect within the state and beyond. It is on record that on yearly basis in the last 10 years, this devout Muslim has spent over N50 million in form of zakat, scholarship and
empowerment to the less privileged and Islamic centres. As a form of encouragement and motivation, he was awarded and installed as Aare Musulumi of Yoruba Community, Kano by COYOM. He was thereafter taken before Oba Otisese for royal blessings. How then would anyone in his right frame of mind accuse the Oba of meddlesomeness in the community’s religious affairs?
However, due to unnecessary brickbats and distractions from these agents of darkness and division, Alhaji Adewuyi resigned honorably from the position, noting that whether he had the title or not, he is not deterred from commiting his wealth to the service of Almighty Allah. During the last fasting, he gave out bags of rice, beans and semolina amounting to several thousands, aside thousands of packets of Talia and cash gifts of over N8 million presented to the needy and mosques in Sabon Gari.
My sincere advice to these disgruntled 5 at this juncture, is to refrain from being delusional to think they can sell their fabricated lies and deceptive fallacies to Kano Emirate, an institution that had witnessed centuries of mutual trust and harmonious collaboration with the Yoruba race.
Nevertheless, by a copy of this write-up, I will not hesitate to intimate the leadership of their state chapters in the community and by extension, the traditional heads of their towns to, as a matter of urgency, seek for their repatriation to their respective places of origin before they cause more havoc to the unity of Yoruba race in Kano and save its image from further bastardization.
Prince Muji Armstrong-Bello, Akogun Aliiwo of Ibadanland lives in Kano.
