The obaship crisis rocking Ikere Ekiti assumed a new twist at the weekend, as the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose ordered the Olukere of Ikere, Oba Ganiyu Obasoyin, to stop appearing in Oba’s apparel or crown.
Fayose reiterated that the only recognized monarch in the town is Ogoga, Oba Adejimi Adu, describing Olukere as a chief priest, who should stop parading himself as a king, having not gotten staff of office, a symbol of recognition from the government.
Speaking in Ado Ekiti at the weekend when Ogoga paid him a courtesy call at his office in Ado Ekiti, Fayose described the supremacy battle between the two monarchs as unnecessary.
He said: “For me, the issues in Ikere, about the obaship tussle is very clear, I’m not saying this because you are here or your chiefs. are here. There are no two Obas in Ikere, there is only one Oba and the Oba is Ogoga. I only recognised the Ogoga of Ikere.
“Olukere has been trying to be a Judge in his own matter. In a civilised society, if not that we are trying to be civil and allow peace to reign, we would have been in court now because that is anarchy.
“You don’t have certificate, no staff of office. I’m not against the agitation. I told our father, chief Bamidele Olomilua that we don’t give him that status. However, because some towns have gotten their independence, it is not by this backdoor rascality or 419 arrangement. If they have agitation, let them follow it, present it to the whole world.
“Above all, if you want to be an Oba and you are abusing the man who can give you staff of office. You are abusing the man who can give you certificate of recognition, I cannot give a man who is disparaging the governor of his own state recognition, not in Ekiti State.”
He added: “I don’t know why you get to the level of going to the streets to destroy your community. That is most unwarranted, unnecessary and irresponsible. You will go to the newspapers and be insulting your governor because you want to be a king, what type of Oba are you? There is no Oba in this state behaving like this. I have asked Chief Olomilua to call him to order.
“That nonsense must stop. You cannot come here dress like an Oba or go to the state Assembly and dress like an Oba, and these media people are backing him. How can you be referring to an ordinary Chief as an Oba, the monarch, which monarch?
“Did you give him the staff of office? Where did you get your monarch? The journalists should be charged to court. They should charge the press to court, that is sheer misappropriation. You should stop all these nonsense and stop causing problems in the state. If Olukere believes he wants to be Oba. Let him follow due process. With the way they have started, I think it is an uphill task.
“Above all, I want Kabiyesi to love everybody, accommodate everybody, even this man behaving like a tout”, he concluded.
Meanwhile, contrary to insinuation that Ogoga allegedly induced Fayose with a sum of N20 million to ensure that he became an Oba in the town, Oba Adu denied the accusation, saying it was being spread by his detractors to taint his personality.
“It seems people were trying to push politics into it. We have document that can aid government on appointing Obas and given him instrument of office. There was Adebayo Commission, these documents that show Ogoga is the paramount ruler. What the Governor said during the commissioning of our palace was just the truth”.
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