The secessionist group stated this in a statement, signed by its leader Professor Banji Akintoye, arguing that no Islamic provisions mandate Yoruba Muslims to accept Sultan as their leader.
The Yoruba Nation Self-Determination Movement has described the Sultan of Sokoto, Sultan Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III's recent call for the imposition of Sharia law in Yorubaland as “disrespectful”.
The secessionist group stated this in a statement, signed by its leader Professor Banji Akintoye, arguing that no Islamic provisions mandate Yoruba Muslims to accept Sultan as their leader.
The statement also pointed out that the Sultan's message alleges that Yoruba people are denying Yoruba Muslims their religious rights, which is described as "falsehood."
The statement went on to advise the Fulani nation to reconsider their approach to religious and political matters in Nigeria, citing the dangers of their "born-to-rule" mentality and the need to respect other peoples.
The statement reads in part: “We Yoruba people have read your statement that was sent to the public through the Deputy National Adviser of the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, Imam Haroun Eze, following the failed attempt to impose Sharia Courts on the Oyo and Ekiti States of the Yoruba people of the Nigerian Southwest. Since your spokesperson, Imam Haroun Eze, made your statement to the public, we also hereby make our response public.
“The Sultan’s spokesman chose to couch the Sultan’s statement to the Yoruba people as if the Sultan were an overlord of the Yoruba people. The statement said in effect that Yoruba people must accept Sharia as dictated by the Sultan. We have great respect for the Sultan as a traditional ruler, since our own traditional rulers, our Obas, are mightily important to our Yoruba nation.
“But because of the Sultan’s chosen approach in his message, we are reluctantly compelled to spell out our response in ways that truthfully uphold our Yoruba nation's independence, integrity and dignity, leaving no doubt about what is our nation’s relationship with the Sultan.
“The Sultan’s message claims that the Sultan is the head of the Islamic religion in Nigeria. Well, while our Yoruba Muslims faithfully surrender their lives to the Almighty God Allah and fully exalt Allah’s great Prophet Mohammed, most do not know the Sultan as their leader.
“There is no provision in the tenets of Islam that lays the duty on our Yoruba Muslims to accept the Sultan of Sokoto as their leader. All Yoruba people of all religions have our own traditional rulers, which traditional rulers are among the most revered on the African continent, and of whom the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo are the foremost and topmost royal fathers of all Yoruba people.
“Therefore, it is important to get rid of the presumption that the Sultan is the leader of Yoruba Muslims. That the Sultan is not leader or father of Yoruba Muslims is clearly borne out by the fact that while, during the past ten years, the Sultan’s Fulani people have killed countless thousands of Yoruba Muslims in all parts of Yorubaland, have destroyed the farms, villages and other assets of Yoruba Muslim farmers, have raped and killed countless Yoruba Muslim women, and have kidnapped, and extorted millions of Naira as ransom for countless kidnapped Yoruba Muslim men, women and children, the Sultan of Sokoto has not, at any time, raised his influential voice against these heinous crimes by his Fulani people against Yoruba people – or even, at least, against Yoruba Muslims.
“Therefore, the Sultan should not find it difficult to understand that Yoruba Muslims cannot see him as their leader. These facts are very important. The Sultan and Imam Haroun Eze must have noticed that in the enormous mass of hostile responses among Yoruba people against the Sultan’s message, there are as many Muslim as non-Muslim voices – in fact, probably more Muslim than non-Muslim voices.
“Furthermore, we are shocked that Fulani people find it impossible to respect other peoples. The Sultan’s statement through Imam Haroun Eze is a very disrespectful statement concerning the Yoruba people.
“It shows that you think you are the dominant people in every aspect of life in Nigeria. Yes, our Yoruba political leaders and the other political leaders of the rest of Nigeria have made the mistake of giving reality to the British attempts to impose the Fulani on Nigeria.”