While the issue of the Ooni of Ile Ife and the Oba of Lagos is still on the front burner, another burning ‘palace war’ is brewing in Iwo in in Osun State.
This time, it is between the Basorun Musulumi and Otun Balogun of Iwoland, Chief Abiola Ogundokun and the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi.
Though the battle between the duo started some time ago, with the Oluwo making moves to withdraw the Chief Ogundokun’s chieftaincy titles.
The high chief has, however, reacted saying that the Oluwo has no right whatsoever to strip him of all his traditional and social titles.
Ogundokun challenged the monarch to write him officially informing him about the development.
Besides, he vowed to remove the monarch from his forefather’s throne. He equally ambasted the king saying the traditional ruler has been embarrassing and relegating the Oluwo stool in the Nigeria traditional institution.
Oba Akande had on Sunday said “As the ruler and custodian of all Traditional, Cultural religious and social clubs in Iwoland, I hereby relief him of all his traditional and social titles ranging from Basorun Muslim of Iwoland, member of Iwo Board of Trustees (IBOT), Otun Balogun of Iwoland and other proposed titles that may be accorded to him from Iwo. A Chief is appointed to favour the town. Any Chief, either commits traditional or religious ‘treason’ should be dealt with accordingly.
“Ogundokun is one of them. I removed him after due consultation with Chiefs, religious leaders, stakeholders and opinion leaders in the interest of Iwo.”
Addressing journalists at the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Osogbo, the former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) stated that the monarch may be apparently consumed by emotions when he was giving the directive.
Ogundokun who stressed that the Oluwo lacks competence to strip him of his religious and traditional chieftaincy titles stated that he got most of the titles before the monarch got to the throne.
His words: “I was installed the Basorun Musulumi of Iwoland 18 and half years ago by the Chief Imam and Muslim Communities of Ayedire, Iwo and Olaoluwa Local Governments, how can the Oluwo announce that he stripped me of the religious titles? He is not competent to do that.
“I was installed Otun Balogun of Iwo land by late Oba S.O Abimbola, the first educated Oba in Iwoland in 1979. How can this Oluwo say he stripped me of that title? He himself conferred on me a kingship title of Obanla of Iwoland in recognition of my contributions and supports to him and Iwo community. Oluwo himself had said he only needs two Ogundokuns in Iwo for him to be okay financially.
“For Oluwo to say I am rude to him; that my action is counterproductive to Iwo development is absurd. I give him money regularly, I maintain him, I renovated his palace, I built a secretariat for Iwo-East local government and named it after the Oluwo. How can these actions be said to be inimical to Iwo progress?
“I challenge him to give me a letter to the effect of my purported dethronement. He cannot do that because he does not have the power to strip me of the titles.”
The elder statesman who also challenged Oba Akanbi to a round table debate vowed to expose more of the atrocities committed by the king.
“He had no tangible job that he was doing when he was in Canada. When he had a case instituted against him by Oluwo Oke, I rallied round him. I ran to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to come to his aid, and it took the intervention of Chief Obasanjo and Governor Rauf Aregbesola before the case could be financially struck out.
“After the case was struck out, Chief Obasanjo warned me and the lawyer that I hired during his travail to always caution him or otherwise we shall be held responsible.
“He is not fit to occupy that stool, he is heartless, ungrateful, destructive and a money monger. He does not have respect for the traditional institution at all. He is very deceptive.
“How can a reasonable monarch be abusing the Ooni of Ife, the Olubadan, the Alaafin and other traditional rulers, he attempted to punch me in the presence of Governor Rauf Aregbesola. Let him denied that. He said I stepped on his leg at a programme on Friday, that is a lie. I did move close to where his legs were.
“He does not listen to advice. I always advised him against his disgraceful acts; that is where he began to see me as his enemy. I told him not to be collecting money from all the people fighting for chieftaincy titles. If 10 people are fighting for a chieftaincy title, Oluwo will collect money from everyone of them.
“He collected N1million from me when my brother wanted to be the Babaloja of Iwoland, and did same to other people. He is very violent. He does not behave like a king,” Ogundokun stated.
Packaged by Bunmi Oladejo
