South-West coalition opposes Sharia law, claims it won’t alleviate poverty

THE CABLE

A coalition of 29 pan-Yoruba organisations has rejected proposals to introduce Sharia law in parts of the south-west, citing the region’s long-standing tradition of religious inclusivity.

In a statement released on Saturday, the coalition described the initiative as a threat to the multi-religious coexistence that has defined Yoruba society for “over 2,000 years”. The statement comes in the wake of reports of the constitution of independent Sharia arbitration panels in Oyo state and Ekiti state.

While acknowledging the contributions of Islam to Yoruba culture, the groups argued that Sharia law is incompatible with the region’s diverse religious fabric, where families often include Muslims, Christians, and adherents of traditional faiths. The groups also expressed concern over the socio-economic outcomes in northern states where Sharia is practised, citing widespread poverty, corruption, insecurity, and inequality.

They warned that replicating such a system in the south-west would not improve the region’s socioeconomic indices, but rather exacerbate existing challenges and destabilise the region.

“Introducing Sharia will not solve issues such as poverty, poor governance, and unemployment in Yorubaland. These are the results of visionless leadership, not the absence of religious law,” the statement reads.