There is this phrase of the wise that, no man can lead prayers in another man’s house without the home owner’s consent.
The reverse is the case with Iwo this last Ramadan break.
Sources said that the traditional ruler of Iwo, Emperor Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, that day, led the Eid-el-Fitri prayers at the town’s praying ground where thousands of Muslims converged.
Interestingly, the Imam (Muslim leader and one spiritually authorized to lead such prayers) of Iwo was reportedly present while Oba Adewale led the prayers.
You would say that Oba Adewale is a Muslim; yes, and he wasn’t the first traditional ruler to have led Islamic prayers, yes; but what you cannot say is that any traditional Oba had forced himself on others in such a brazen and sacrilegeous manner, as Oba Adewale was said to have asked the Chief Imam to step aside so he could take over for the Eid prayers.
In Kano, recently, Emir Lamido Sanusi Lamido led the prayers at a special Jumat service held in honour of the former head of state, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed.
“But even if the Iwo oba was not the first to have led an Eid prayer, he was the first to have done so, without the people’s blessing,” chipped our source.
-Folorunsho Hamsat
