Oyo Govt not against Sharia Panel Operation, says Makinde

The Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has cleared the air on the plan to apply Sharia Law in some states of the South-West, including Oyo, noting that his administration will not oppose anything that is in line with the Constitution.

The clarification came against the backdrop of a media report that the Oyo State Government would go to court to challenge the plan.
Governor Makinde declared that members of the public can approach the Sharia Panel if they feel like doing so. The governor, who stated that the panel could be an alternative dispute resolution mechanism, noted that the court of law is still empowered by the Constitution to settle all disputes and that his administration will always follow the dictates of the Constitution.

Makinde stated this at the 2025 Iftar Programme organised by the Oyo State Government, the sixth since he became governor of the state in 2019, held at the frontage of the Presidential Lodge, Government House, Agodi, Ibadan. According to the governor, his administration is focused on ensuring religious harmony and total unity in the state and would, therefore, not allow anyone to cause disaffection in the state.

He added that while some people will want to use any means to win elections, including causing religious disharmony, his government has remained focused on developing the state sustainably for the good of its residents and future generations. “I read in the newspaper that I would go to Court for interpretation on the Sharia Panel, which is ongoing in Oyo. That is not my position,” Makinde was quoted to have said in a statement released by the Oyo State government.