Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State distributed rams and food items to some Islamic clerics in the state despite a directive from the League of Imams and Alfas in the state banning its members from collecting the governor’s gift.
A communiqué signed by the state’s Assistant Secretary of the clerics’ body, Alhaji Quadri Oguntuase, and two others had earlier warned Muslims in the state not to collect the items from the governor.
But on Tuesday, Fayose distributed rams to Muslims in the state, urging them to shun politicians using religion to draw sentiment.
The governor further stressed that he will not “allow anybody to drag” him into “playing politics with religion.”
He said, “What I am doing today is a demonstration of love and support for the Muslims. I am not that kind of a leader who does things with religious interest.”
He promised to do a similar thing to Christians in the state, noting that “Ekiti is one whether you are Muslim or Christian and this is the spirit I want all of us to imbibe.”
Fayose, who gave the items at the Government House in Ado-Ekiti, maintained that, he relates with residents of the state irrespective of their religion. He said to him, both religions “are the same,” adding that “I have no preference for either of the two. I am the governor today and if Muslims get there tomorrow, we will all support him.”
It would be recalled that the General Secretary of the Islamic body, Alhaji Abdulrazak Adenipekun, had earlier countered the order by his group, asking Muslims to ignore the ban on Salah gift.
Clerics Receive Salah Rams From Fayose http://t.co/xUvvg7lUkz