Deji has no consenting power over Osolo installation, say Akure monarchs

Barely two months after the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo, was involved in rumbles with the traditional rulers in Akure North Local Government Area over the sack of the Asinigbo of Isinigbo, the Council of Chiefs in Isolo Kingdom, has declared that he has no traditional right to install a monarch for the kingdom.

This is sequel to the recent squabble that trailed the installation of Edward Kolawole Adejoyegbe Adewole, who was elected as the Osolo-Elect of Isolo in 2016, a kingdom under Akure South Local Government Area, where the Deji also reigns as the paramount ruler.

Meanwhile, some Akure monarchs, especially in Akure North LGA, have opposed the suzerainty of Oba Aladetoyinbo, posing stiff resistance to the powers of the Deji on his limitations over ‘consenting authority’ to suspend the Asinigbo, Oba Samuel Elewuju, whose crisis with Deji started in September 2016.

The Asinigbo, strongly supported by the Akure North Local Government Chieftaincy Committee under the chairmanship of the Ogbolu of Ita-Ogbolu, Oba Idowu Faborode and the Oloba of Oba-Ile, Oba Joseph Oluwadare, made recourse to the 1984 Chiefs Law in Ondo State as amended in 1991 and the Land Use Act, asserting that the Deji is overstepping his bounds.

Without mincing words, they said Oba Aladetoyinbo only has consenting authority over communities in his local government area, hence, his stance then to remove the centenarian, Oba Elewuju, is strange and contradictory to the laws of the land.

But the consenting authority holds a different interpretation and stiff resistance against the installation of Oba Adewole from the Ademodi Ruling House and Osalade Royal family as the 17th Osolo since the demise of the last monarch, Oba Kayode Oluwatuyi, who reigned from 1979 to 2014.

Some notable kingmakers of Isolo Kingdom, led by the Elemo and Chairman, Isolo Council of Chiefs, Chief Ezekiel Ibukun Adetoyinbo, who is also from the same ruling house with the new Osolo, kicked against his ascension to the throne, accusing the Deji of imposing the monarch on the people in contravention to their custom and traditions.

Aladetoyinbo, in a petition to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, alongside five other kingmakers, argued that the installation of Oba Adewole contradicted a state government circular with reference number CD/C43/5 Vol. XXII/349 and dated April 27, 2018, accusing the Deji of stoking communal crisis.

According to them, the circular stipulates that appointment of minor chiefs should be suspended in the state pending the release of Government White paper.

Among the contenders are some lawmakers, among whom are: High Chief Ebenezer Ogunjemilusi, the Saoo of Isolo; High Chief Hezekiah Babatunde, the Olusunla of Isolo; Chief J. Adisa, the Aruwajoye of Isolo; Chief A. Adeleke, the Obaseye of Isolo and Chief Akosile Fagite, the Agbaakin of Isolo; disclosed that paramount powers of the Deji is still being challenged at the Supreme Court.

The Guardian gathered that the circular from the state government was issued after the Elemo and some chiefs secretly installed one Amos Larry Idowu, who is from the Abibiri Ruling House at night in April 2018.

It was also learnt that the ruling house had presented a different candidate for the throne during the selection process by the kingmakers in
2016.

A source also revealed that the Deji, Oba Adewole and Idowu, whose installation in the middle of the night hit the rock and led to the suspension of Chief Adetoyibo by the Isolo Council of Chiefs, were acquaintances in Baltimore, USA, before their traditional ascension to the throne.

The Isolo Council of Chiefs, headed by the Lisa and traditional Prime Minister of the community, High Chief Joshua Omotayo, who confirmed the suspension of Elemo by the council, expressed dismay at the conduct of the chiefs, particularly Adetoyinbo who he said served some punishment for gross misconduct and abuse of office; describing them as ‘mere rabble rousers and mischief-makers.’

According to him: “The suspended Elemo, Mr. Adetoyinbo and his company of friends went too far in their attempt to distort history that our new Osolo of Isolo, Edward Kolawole Adejoyegbe Adewole, was installed by His Imperial Majesty Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelus Odundun II, the Deji of Akure.”

Omotayo rebutted the allegations that the new Osolo Edward
Kolawole Adejoyegbe Adewole was rightly presented by Ademodi Ruling House of Isolo, just like other contestants for the Osolo throne.

“The Isolo are truly a people who have their sense of tradition and custom intact as handed down to them by their forebears who hailed from
Ile-Ife.

The Isolo Council of Chiefs consulted Ifa Oracle, the deity that is widely believed by the Yoruba as a revealer of secret things.

The names of the contestants were presented, including that of Prince Edward Adewole.

“The oracle identified Edward Kolawole Adewole as the right candidate for the stool of Osolo.

Nevertheless, the council of chiefs of Isolo went further to conduct a peaceful election among themselves, and Edward k. A. Adewole had nine chiefs supporting his candidacy out of the 10 existing chiefs as at April 2016,” he said.

He listed the names of the 10 kingmakers who ratified the selection of Oba Adewole to include the suspended Elemo, High Chief Ogunjemilusi; Chief Babatunde, Chief Owonifari and Chief Adisa, who acted against their ealier decision.

“They all penned their signatures as a sign of their approval of the candidacy of Edward Kolawole Adewole on April 9, 2016. And as customs and traditions of Isolo and that of Yoruba in general demand, the

Osolo-elect must give gifts (material or cash) to all the chiefs. Adewole did not fail in his duty on the above,” he disclosed.

Lisa further disclosed that the Isolo Council of Chiefs wrote a formal letter of appointment, which was duly signed on February 2, 2017 by him and the council chairman to congratulate Prince Adewole on his appointment as Osolo-elect.

Shedding light on the alleged roles played by the Deji, he revealed that in the traditions of Isolo people when a new Osolo is to be enthroned after Ifa oracle must have spoken and other obligations diligently observed, an emissary would be sent to the Deji of Akure to inform him that the Isolo chiefs are bringing to his palace their Osolo-elect.

He said: “When the Deji agrees to the date for which the chiefs and Osolo designate can visit, the Lisa of Isolo would lead the chiefs, family members of the Osolo-elect and all sons and daughters of Isolo to the Deji’s palace.

Upon arrival to the palace and normal exchange of pleasantries, the Lisa of Isolo would stand and address the Deji and the people present that the Isolos have come to show the Deji their new traditional ruler.

The Deji in response would admonish the Osolo to conduct himself well during installation of their leader aside giving his blessing.

There would be no rites whatsoever that the Deji would perform on the new Osolo.”

Lisa noted that the visit to Deji’s palace did not take much time because the only activity that took place was the presentation of Osolo-elect
Edward to the Deji for his royal blessing by Chief Joshua the Lisa of Isolo. This was done according to the ancient tradition that exists between Akure and Isolo.

Affirming that the Deji didn’t meddle in the selection and installation process as claimed, he described Oba Aladetoyinbo as a man with clear sense of history about traditions and customs who would never go against such.

“No Deji had ever performed rites of installation on an Osolo and our present royal father in person of the Deji of Akure did not do so on the new Osolo. After photographs were taken, the crowd with the Osolo designate Edward Adewole went back to Isolo and they stopped at the installation house, (Ile Kibi), where Adewole changed his beautiful ’agbada’ for the usual white skirt for the installation process. It was at Ile kibi that the necessary rites were performed, according to ancient tradition of Isolo people.

“It was a rude shock to all Isolo people and the chiefs that have been enjoying the peaceful atmosphere since the installation of the new Osolo,
Adewole, Osalade II from Ademodi Ruling House, when we read in a national daily that Mr. Ibukun Adetoyinbo and his friends alleged that the installation was done at the Deji’s Palace.

The allegation is far from the truth as pictures and videos of the installation process are currently in the public domain,” the Isolo Chief said.

The Deji, through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Michael Adeyeye, reaffirmed the suspension of Elemo based on his fraudulent activities in April. He noted that the allegations were meant to mislead the public.

He stated that the appeal filed by Isolo Community to challenge the judgment of the Appeal Court had been dismissed by the Apex Court, saying it was among the 27 cases struck out by the Supreme Court on Wednesday, February 11, 2015.

“The ruling was delivered by the current CJN, Justice Walter Samuel Onnoghen, alongside Justice Suleiman Galadima, Justice Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili, Justice Dattijo Mohammad and Justice Inyang Okoro.

The new Osolo, Oba Adewole, asserted that neither his selection as Osolo-elect nor his installation was sponsored by the Deji of Akure, revealing that the Isolo Council of Chiefs had elected him even before the Deji ascended the throne in 2016.

Though he acknowledged that he had lived in USA with Idowu and Aladetoyinbo, he claimed that the former stood the chance of being favoured because he is the in-law of the latter and they even got to Baltimore before him.

The leaders of the Ademodi Ruling House, the chairman, Oluwadere Akinti and the Secretary, Sunday Faloye, expressed dissatisfaction with the attitude of the suspended Elemo, revealing that the family has also derobed him of his Chieftaincy title.

“It is the family that nominated him for the title of Elemo of Isolo and we have passed a vote of no confidence on him by declaring him persona non grata. Every member of the ruling family is not in support of his misdemeanor.”