The Office of the Grand Chief Imam of Oyo State, Sheikh Abdul Ganiyu Abubakri Agbotomokekere, has debunked reports that it endorsed Alhaja Princess Folashade Azeezat Abeo Nurudeen as the Iyaloja of Oyo State.
The office made the clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Aide to the Grand Chief Imam on Media and Publicity, Sulaiman Olalekan Makinde.
According to the statement, Alhaja Abeo visited the Grand Chief Imam at his residence in Oja’ba, Ibadan, on the evening of Tuesday, October 20, 2026, on a courtesy call to seek prayers and blessings.
It stressed that the visit should not be misconstrued as an endorsement or official declaration of support for any candidate for the position of Iyaloja of Oyo State.
The office categorically stated that no endorsement was given, describing the visit as purely a personal and religious engagement.
It further clarified that the Office of the Grand Chief Imam does not exercise the authority to appoint or endorse an Iyaloja, noting that such responsibility does not fall within its established or customary functions.
The statement added that if the picture in circulation is critically observed, it was Princess Abeo who raised the hand of the Chief Imam.
It noted that the Grand Chief Imam’s residence remains open to people from all walks of life who seek prayers and spiritual guidance, adding that receiving a visitor does not amount to endorsing the person’s political, traditional or chieftaincy ambition.
The office urged members of the public, media organisations and social media users to disregard the misleading interpretation of the visit and refrain from circulating unverified information.
It said the Grand Chief Imam prays for continued peace, unity and harmonious coexistence among the people of Oyo State and Nigeria at large.
