Residents of Gbokoto-Isale, in Yewa North local government area of Ogun State, trooped to the streets at the weekend in protest against the planned imposition of a politician on them by officials of the local government as the next traditional ruler without the consent of the town’s council of kingmakers.
They called on the governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, to intervene in the matter.
The placard-bearing protesters, which included youths, elderly men, women, all sons and daughters of the ancient Yewa town, accused officials of the local government of conniving with some politicians to install Tajudeen Olukunle, one of the sons of the immediate past monarch of town, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ganiyu Adegbola Olukunle, as the next traditional ruler.
Describing the development as wrong and unacceptable, the protesters argued that the step is alien to the selection and installation process of a monarch for the stool.
Chanting varying emotion-laden solidarity songs to drive home their “Save Our Soul” messages, the protesters appealed to the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration, to prevail on officials of the local government to desist from politicising the selection process.
Speaking with journalists during the protest, one of the palace chiefs, the Asipa of Gbokoto-Isale, Chief Akapo Olugbami, disclosed that the local government officials violated the existing laws by inaugurating a 7-man Warrant Chiefs who sat and consequently settled for Tajudeen Olukunle to succeed his father, as against the chieftaincy declaration of the town.
Akapo explained that the said Chieftaincy Declaration of the year 2000 for the stool of Gbokoto-Isale clearly prescribed that ascension to the throne should be on rotational basis and as such, the local government’s selection of the son of the immediate past monarch, Tajudeen is an illegality and an affront on the Chieftaincy Declaration.
To conform with the Chieftaincy Declaration, Asipa of Gbokoto, Akapo explained that since the demise of Oba Olukunle, the next traditional ruler of the town ought to have come from the Obagan ruling House, instead of the Osupa ruling House where the Local Government had repeatedly picked Tajudeen.
Also speaking with journalists, another palace chief, the 85-year-old Iya-Oba of Gbokoto, Chief (Mrs) Deborah Obayomi also corroborated Akapo’s position, stressing that the rotational base recognised three royal families for the stool: Oyoro, Osupa and Obagan.
Madam Deborah further explained that the duo of Oyoro and Osupa have taken their turns and that it is now the turn of Obagan to occupy the stool, which she alleged that local government officials are now compromising.
They, however, appealed to the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun to urgently prevail on officials of Yewa North local government to stop further action on the process and direct them to respect the age-long tradition laid down by the Chieftaincy Declaration of Gbokoto-Isale in the interest of peace in their community.
