Olufemi Adediran 
…as controversy trail selection process
Residents of Owu Kingdom in Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State are already in a festive mood in anticipation of a new monarch. The Olowu stool became vacant, following the demise of the late Oba Adegboyega Dosumu, who joined his ancestors in December 12, 2021. New Telegraph learnt that arrangements for the coronation are in top gear, as residents are awaiting the official announcement of the next Olowu by the state government in a few days to come. Twelve princes from the Otileta Ruling House, the family to produce the next Oluwo, had signified their interest to contest the stool.
The 12 candidates were initially screened by the ruling house while scores were awarded. Out of the 12 princes, who were nominated by the five compounds that made up the ruling house, seven of them were, however, cleared and nominated on March 10. The seven candidates that made the final list included: an Archbishop of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr. Adegbemi Adewale.
The six other candidates nominated along with Adewale, a Ph.D. holder in African law and from Ile Aderinoye, are Princes Adelani Oladimeji, from Ile Omo’le Efon; Matemilola Adelola, from Ile Soke, and Olatidoye Olaniyi from Soke. Others are: Prince Adeyanju Bakinson, from Ile Otopo; Simeon Soyele, from Ile Lumosa, and Adesina Adelani from Ile Soke. Though no voting was done during the screening by delegates, New Telegraph learnt that scores were awarded based on performances of each of the candidates, at the screening and interview sessions. According to the results sheet, Prince Adegbemi Adewale, came first with 1,027 points; Prince Adelani Oladimeji, scored 909 points, Matemilola Adelola 886 points, while Prince Olatidoye Olaniyi scored 863 points. Other scores are: Prince Adeyanju Bakinson, 862 points; Simeon Soyele, 827 points and Adesina Adelani, 801 points.
Obasanjo, other kingmakers screen candidates again
After the nomination of the seven selected princes by the ruling house, they were screened by the kingmakers, who were led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo, who is the Balogun (Chief warrior) of Owu kingdom, led other kingmakers in the statutory selection and screening process, which lasted for about seven hours on Wednesday, March 30. Sources from the palace said, Obasanjo had addressed the seven candidates before and after the rounds of interview which was wit-nessed by both the Abeokuta North Local Government Secretary and other officials. The source said, the kingmakers’ process was “thorough, transparent and neat because everyone was engaged by the kingmakers.”
It was also gathered that, no voting took place during the exercise, but the kingmakers had forwarded their report to Governor Dapo Abiodun. According to the source: “Obasanjo said the outcome of the screening lies on the shoulders of the Executive Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun whose statutory duty is to announce the Oba.”
Hundreds of the sons and daughters of the kingdom had thronged the Oke Ago-Owu, Palace of the Olowu where the kingmakers were interviewing the candidates, hoping to receive an announcement of the Olowu-elect. The screening exercise marked the end of the selection process while governor Abiodun is expected to officially announce the next Olowu very soon.
Controversy trails selection process as aggrieved family threaten lawsuit against Obasanjo, others
But, one of the families in the Otileta ruling house has faulted the selection process. The Laara family alleged exclusion of their family from the selection process and threatened to institute legal action against Obasanjo and other kingmakers. Obasanjo, who wields enormous power in determining who becomes the Olowu was very influential in the enthronement of the late Olowu, Oba Dosumu. But, the Laara family had petitioned the ruling house and copies of the petition was said to have been forwarded to Balogun Owu, Chief Obasanjo, the Ogun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Abeokuta North Local Government and Owu Council of Chiefs, protesting against the alleged exclusion of the family from membership of the ruling house. The aggrieved family said, the petition was necessary for the overall communal interest and people of the kingdom, and there-by gave the ruling house 24 hours’ notice to restrain, stop and desist from continuing the process described as lopsided, fraudulent, non-customary and skewed. Speaking on behalf of the family, Prince Adeyinka Abolade said their family, Laara, which is one of the families in Otileta ruling house, was allegedly excluded from the selection process organised by the ruling house. The petition which was filed by Adebayo Ogungbemi and Co, on behalf of the Laara family, alleged that the ruling house had already forwarded five names to the kingmakers, and in the petition, the petitioners declared that, the relevance of Laara family in Otileta ruling house cannot be toyed with. The petition reads: “The act and attempt of the Otitela ruling house, by your leadership to ignore, exclude and side line one of the paramount ruling families cannot be overlooked. Hence, in the interest of justice, equity and fair play for the overall communal interest and the common good of the Owu kingdom, you are hereby advised, within 24 hours, to refrain, stop and desist from continuing the lopsided, fraudulent, non-customary and skewed process of compiling and interviewing candidates.” The petition declared that the composition of the ruling house included the Laara family, Matemilola family, Owookade family, Lumosa family and Aderinoye family, and therefore advised the head of the ruling house to retrace his steps in the interest of justice, equity and fair play. Also speaking, the head of Laara family, Adenike Lawal, lamented that the leadership of Otileta ruling house is allegedly planning to rewrite history by removing the Laara compound from the bona fide membership of Otileta ruling house. Lawal, who is also the Iyalode of Owu kingdom, noted that the Laara family is part of the five compounds that formed the Otileta ruling house. She insisted that the family was allegedly marginalised in the process, claiming that none of its members participated in the selection exercise.
To prove her point, Lawal claimed that the Laara family produced the first Olowu of Owu Abeokuta, Oba Pawu who reigned between 1855 and 1867. She added, “It is also known to all good students of history that our fathers, Laara and Olufakun brought the crown from Orile- Owu prelude to the crowning of Oba Pawu as the very first Olowu in Abeokuta in 1855. “In 2005, the members of Laara compound decided to keep the crown in our custody at the Olowu’s palace for safekeeping. Chief M. Ola Yusuf, the Parokoyi of Owu kingdom received the crown and gave us a notice of acknowledgement to that effect, and we are in the custody of the receipt. “We would also like to put on record that the actual names of the bona fide members of the Otileta ruling house are: Laara, Matenilola, Owokade, Lumosa, and Aderinoye. “We, therefore, use this medium to alert all stakeholders in the matter to call the Otileta ruling house officials to order by writing the wrong in the interest of equity, justice, peace, and stability of Owu Kingdom.” Speaking on the public notice released by the government on the selection process, the Iyalode explained: “We did not receive any public notice reportedly passed by the secretary to the local government on the nomination of candidate for Olowu stool. We have not heard any direct or indirect contact from anybody. “The history of Owu in Abeokuta starts with Laara. And all the people that went to Totoro migrated from here. So, it is unjustifiable for anybody to say that Laara is not part of Otileta ruling house because it started here. “All we want is peace, we don’t want to take measures that will affect the peace and stability of the Owu kingdom. We want everything to be put right so that we are given our dues.”
Aggrieved prince insists ‘Ifa’ oracle must pick next Olowu
The selection process for the emergence of the next Olowu appears to be enmeshed in controversies, as one of the heirs apparent to the throne, Prince Sunday Aremu Adelanwa insisted that the new Oluwo must be selected by the “Ifa” oracle. Adelanwa, therefore appealed to the kingmakers to immediately reverse the process, alleging that the outcome of the consultation with the “Ifa” oracle was not considered in the selection process. Adelanwa who stated this while speaking with journalists in Abeokuta alleged that the selection process did not conform to the tradition of the kingdom. He specifically appealed to Obasanjo, to respect tradition by allowing the outcome of the consultations with the Yoruba deities to prevail in the process of enthroning the next Olowu. Adelanwa alleged that the entire selection process was fraught with irregularities, particularly when customs and traditions which hitherto remains the fulcrum that dictated the choice of an Oba in Owu kingdom were jettisoned. Adelanwa also alleged that the selection process was a violation of the laid down procedures for the selection of anyone that should occupy the throne as the next Olowu of Owu Kingdom. He warned that failure to respect tradition in the choice of an Olowu would set a bad precedent for future record in the kingdom.
