The mediation role by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the royal tussle of Orile-Owu ruling houses in Ogun state, has turned tactless, LATEEF DADA reports
Despite the intervention of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo in the royal tussle of Orile-Owu in Ayedaade Local Government of Osun state, two persons from the same Ruling House have been locked in a battle of wits over who becomes Olowu of Orile-Owu after the death of Oba Moses Adesosu Adejobi of Afelele Ruling House on March 15, 2011.
Oba Adejobi and his wife, Funmilayo, died in a ghastly motor accident at Gbongan junction, Ibadan/Ile-Ife Express way, a development that led to the taken over of the stool by the Kingmakers under the leadership of Chief Yahaya Akintunde, the Akogun of Orile-Owu.
In line with the Chieftaincy Declaration and Chiefs Law of Orile-Owu, Ayedaade Local Government contacted the Kingmakers to commence the process of identifying a substantive successor to the throne from Lagbedu Ruling House whose turn it was to produce the next king.
It was gathered that the Kingmakers compiled eleven names from two clans of Lagbedu Ruling house, comprising of ten from Apena and one from Akinfala.
However, the kingmakers reportedly nominated Prince Bayo Adenrele from Apena’s family to the Local Government for authorization, a decision that led to protest by his co-contestant, Prince Dauda Ajolola Akinfalabi from Akinfala family, who contended that Adenrele was neither related to Lagbedu nor any other five Ruling houses in Orile-Owu.
While the case was still in court, former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo intervened by setting up a committee in 2012 to look into the matter and settle it amicably.
Obasanjo, who is the Balogun of Owu, described the matter as a family affair which he said should not have arisen at all let alone being in court since the Apena and Akinfala are of the same Ruling House (Lagbedu).
The fact-finding committee which was headed by Olu of Araromi-Owu with one representative from the six ruling houses as members, in their findings, discovered that Apena clan and Akinfala clan are relations from origin and they both have the same ancestral parental origin while their fathers settled at the Apena Compound when they came back to new Orile-Owu in 1918.
Also, the committee discovered that Akinfala clan had produced a King in the name of Lagbedu Ruling House and therefore held that the position of Apena clan to be allowed to produce the next King from Lagbedu was reasonable at this time.
They stated in their report that all efforts to persuade Akinfala clan to enable the Apena produced the next King proved abortive.
However, in its recommendation, the Royal Committee in a report prepared by Owu Development Foundation, also advised Chief Obasanjo to take necessary steps for Akinfala to take the case out of court and communicate the report of the committee to the Governor of Osun state with a request that the earlier recommendation of Kingmakers should be approved.
Apparently not satisfied with the intervention of Chief Obasanjo, Akinfalabi went on to pursue the case in court.
After five years of legal tussle, Justice Olubukola Ayoola of Ikire High court, Osun state, finally held that “it is hereby ordered that the 1st to 5th defendants approve and install without further delay Prince Alhaji Dauda Ajolola Akinfalabi from Lagbedu ruling house as the new Olowu of Orile-Owu.
“The nomination of a candidate, Prince Alhaji Dauda Ajolola Akinfalabi by the first plaintiff as the head and Chairman of the Lagbedu ruling house in strict compliance with paragraph V of the 1979 Registered Chieftaincy Declaration of Orile-Owu is the proper and valid nomination made on July 13, 2011, and shall be the acceptable nomination to the 1st to 5th defendants and shall be approved and installed as the new Olowu of Orile-Owu.
“Perpetual injunction is hereby made restraining the 5th defendant (kingmaker, Chief Yaya Akogun) from selecting/recommending any one from Olatibon/Apeena family as the next Olowu pursuant to the nominator made on 13th July, 2011.
“Perpetual injunction is hereby made restraining the 4th defendant (Ayedaade Local Government) from accepting any candidate submitted to it from Olatibonu/Apeena family of Orile-Owu and or recommending same to the 1st to 3rd defendants (Osun state Governor, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy) for approval.
“The 1st to 3rd defendants are hereby perpetually restrained from deliberating and or approving any candidate from Olatibonu/Apeena family of Olowu of Orile-Owu,” the court held.
Meanwhile, Counsel to the plaintiffs, Olusegun Olatoye, immediately wrote to Governor Aregbesola, notifying him of the judgment and order of the court, appealing to the Governor to expedite action and approve the candidature of Alh. Dauda Ajolola Akinfalabi and install him as the new Olowu of Orile-Owu without further delay as pronounced by the court.
In what seems to be a mockery of Ebora Owu as Obasanjo is popularly called, the counsel in his letter to the governor said “we deemed it expedient to register on behalf of our client i.e Lagbedu Ruling House of Orile-Owu, our unreserved appreciation and gratitude to Your Excellency for standing firm in observance of the Rule of Law while the legal battle to know the entitled family and eligible candidate persists.
“Worthy of note is your resolve to allow the metwand of the rule of law to take its course and pronouncement of same during the intimidating visit of Baba Olusegun Obasanjo on the need to fill the vacant stool of Orile-Owu.
However, as the judgment was ongoing, the respondents, having discovered that the judgment may not favour them, went out of the court room to file a notice of appeal and stay of execution of the judgment.
In the notice of appeal signed by Counsel to the respondents, Mrs Olateju Kolawole, the respondents sought an order of the court, setting aside the judgment of the lower court.
The community of Orile-Owu that has been enjoying relative peace and togetherness is now divided as many people were jubilating while some youths insist that they will never allow Akinfalabi to be their King.