The Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has sought to calm growing debate over religious succession ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that faith will not be allowed to divide the state.
Speaking in Ibadan at a farewell ceremony for pilgrims embarking on the 2026 Hajj, Makinde said Oyo’s history of coexistence across religious lines should guide political choices in the coming transition.
“In Oyo State, we are all one. We won’t allow religion to divide us,” he said, urging residents to prioritise unity over identity politics. “Religion is not an issue for us. We have all religions in our families, and we have always coexisted peacefully.”
His remarks come amid mounting speculation over who will succeed him in 2027, with some political actors calling for a Muslim governor to follow Makinde, a Christian, in the name of balance. Since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, Oyo has alternated between Christian and Muslim governors, a pattern that has fed expectations of rotational fairness.
Makinde, however, cautioned against what he described as pressure to make decisions along religious lines, urging voters instead to focus on continuity of governance and development outcomes.
“The conversation is about a Muslim being my successor, but what matters is that God chooses the person who will sustain the achievements and the good works we are doing,” he said.
Addressing the departing pilgrims, the governor also urged them to pray for the state and the country as Nigeria edges closer to another election cycle. “Whatever decision we make, we will have to live with it for the next four years,” he said, framing the 2027 vote as a critical moment for both Oyo and the wider federation.
Beyond politics, Makinde used the occasion to reaffirm support for the state’s Muslim community, promising to complete an ongoing mosque project and donate buses to aid both local Hajj administration and pilgrims’ movement in Saudi Arabia.
He praised Oyo’s pilgrims as consistent “good ambassadors” of the state, a sentiment echoed by officials of the Pilgrims Welfare Board, who confirmed that more than 1,000 residents would participate in this year’s pilgrimage, with departures scheduled in batches from early May.
The event drew a cross-section of political and religious figures, underscoring the delicate balance Makinde is attempting to strike: acknowledging the realities of Nigeria’s identity politics while arguing that governance, not religion, should ultimately decide the state’s future.
