A former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has urged monarchs in Yorubaland to embrace all religions in their domains to reflect the inclusive nature of Yoruba culture.

Aregbesola, the former Osun State Governor, made the remarks during the turbaning of Mahmud Adesina (SAN) as the Wazeerul Muslimeen of Ifon-Orolu, Osun, on Saturday, January 11, 2025.

He appealed to the new Wazeerul Muslimeen to approach his new role with sincerity, saying that Yoruba monarchs must embrace everyone irrespective of their religious beliefs.

“Kings in Yorubaland don’t adhere to a single religion. No Yoruba king can be exclusively Muslim, Christian, or traditionalist unless the monarch is not truly Yoruba.

“A Yoruba monarch must participate in all religious practices. Whether it’s the Egungun festival, Islamic prayers, or Christian celebrations, you must be involved. That’s how Almighty God created the Yoruba people,” he said.

Adesina calls for Sharia Courts of Appeal across Nigeria

Aregbesola also lauded the monarchs who graced the event, saying, “This is how a Yoruba monarch should behave—engaging with all religions, whether Islam, Christianity, or traditional practices.”

For his part, Adesina called for the establishment of Sharia Courts of Appeal across Nigeria, in line with constitutional provisions.

“We should advocate for the creation of Sharia Courts of Appeal in every state that requires them, in full compliance with Sections 275, 276, and 277 of the constitution.

“The constitution explicitly provides for this by using the word ‘shall.’ While some states have Sharia panels to resolve disputes among Muslims, they lack enforcement powers. Such enforcement can only be achieved through the establishment of Sharia Courts of Appeal, as already outlined in our constitution,” he stated after being turbaned.