How major crisis allegedly plotted by Deji of Akure was averted on eve of Aiyedatiwa’s inauguration

By Kemi Kasumu & our reporters

CITIZENS COMPASS– The peaceful inauguration of Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, as elected Governor of no-nonsense Ondo State has been attributed to the act of God and good intention of the governor as, according to some anonymous speakers who spoke to our reporters across the ancient autonomous and recently recogenized kingdom communities in Akure North, Akure South and Ifedore Local Government Areas of the state on Monday.

According to them, the inauguration would have been thwarted by a singular plot on Sunday by the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladelusi Ogunlade Aladetoyinbo, to conduct what the Akure monarch called marching his self appointed Chief Iralepo of Isinkan to occupy the palace of Oba Iralepo of Isinkan, a stool that is not vacant as it is still legitimately occupied by His Royal Majesty Oba (Barrister) Oluwagbemiga Ojo Olofin-Adimula as the recognized monarch of the kingdom.

That effort of the Deji failed because he became afraid that aggrieved people of Isinkan and sympathisers from other neighbouring kingdoms including Isolo (in Akure South) and Osi and Oba Ile (in Akure North Local Government) and Ilara-Mokin and Igbara-Oke (in Ifedore Local Government) all Akure speaking autonomous communities in Ondo State had mobilized to Ita Owa, where the Palace of Iralepo of Isinkan, Oba Oluwagbemiga Ojo Olofin-Adimula, is located, in solidarity with the Isinkan Monarch.

According to one of the angered sympathisers, who chose not to be mentioned, “One of the Deji’s boys, I don’t know his name, deliberately called one of the Obas telling him that ‘Iwo l’okan – meaning it is your turn. You better come quick to beg the Deji because you are the next now after Iralepo of Isinkan.’

“He is the one the Deji is using to threaten all Obas of Akure speaking communities of Akure North, Akure South and Ifedore. He told the Oba of Osi ‘It is your turn’. Things should not degenerate to this ridiculous level. They have turned this hooliganism in the name of Akure royalty to family culture.

“From the way his boys boast especially those boys among them the boy he calls his Chief Press Secretary and one guy like that whose mother is from Isolo but now allows the Deji to use him against his own mother’s town, it can be concluded it is court that the Deji wants to use to colonize all the Obas that are junior to him across their respective towns and communities. That guy that called the Akure North traditional ruler especially is one of the tools the Deji is using to reach out to legitimate Obas threatening them that Deji would demote them from Obaship to ordinary chiefs and that they will one after another be the next to be removed by the Deji through the courts.

“It is in the course of these threats and the way they boastfully talk as if in a lawless society that the guy ran into slip of the tongue when he said ‘You need to know that we have the power to get anything we need in court and that is how we will colonise you like Queen Elizabeth colonized Nigeria and Africa.’ He said so,” the source said.

Asked about allegations among the people that Deji of Akure has a lobbyist that lobbies the judges of courts in the state to get a no-case situation delivered in his favour, he said that was what he also heard the same thing but declined to hold it against any court or judge unless there is evidence to back it up.

“We hear these things but, although you can never find such evidence that the Deji is buying judgement with money, we will continue to treat it as rumour until it is otherwise proved by people that so allege. I can say the Deji’s behaviour, however, gives room for people to tell such rumours against him.”

According to the apparently angered Ondo State man, “This Deji is just behaving like somebody who is unwise and uneducated that never even finished primary school. Court gave judgment and you had quickly taken action to say that you suspend somebody the same day claiming that you withdrew all his benefits and you presented a certificate to that one too who also could not reason to see the ridiculous paper given to him called certificate, and he goes around opening his teeth everywhere.

“This is somebody who contested for the stool of Oba Irelepo and lost as he was clearly defeated by then Prince now Oba Oluwagbemiga Ojo Olofin-Adimula. That same loser has come outside of Isinkan and allowed himself to be appointed inside Akure palace by Deji, an action that is unknown to culture of either Akure or Isinkan that Deji of Akure would install Iralepo. He accepted the appointment as High Chief Iralepo, and he is very happy about that? Then, where is the royalty blue blood in his vein?

“If I am the Governor, having reviewed what the Deji has done in the last three days, I will suspend him. You did not appoint Iralepo. Instrument of Appointment that you have is what Iralepo has. The Staff of Office that the government presented to you as Deji is the same type that was given to Iralepo and you now claim that you suspend him. Who does that?

“I even heard that he (the Deji) made an announcement on radio yesterday (Sunday) ordering the said Chief Iralepo he appointed to march to the palace of Oba Iralepo in Isinkan and ascend the throne as High Chief under him but we reinforced there. They should thank their stars that they did not come. Akure would have exploded, honestly.

“What the Deji wanted to do was to rush within three days to smuggle that boy (Henry Adeyeye) he claimed he appointed as Chief Iralepo of Isinkan into the palace and eject the sitting Oba Iralepo from his ancestral throne. Does he think that Oba Iralepo is a fool who does not know what he (Iralepo) is doing like him (the Deji)?”

During the investigative, our team also gathered that from the source who said the Deji must be suffering from envy and inferiority complex as, according to him, “On Thursday all the Akure South kings, Osolo, Iralepo and Deji participated in the Governor’s commissioning of the Council of Obas Secretariat at Alagbaka. The Iralepo and Osolo also went to Investment with the same Deji. He must be very upset that Iralepo and Osolo are increasingly being relevant that they are recognized and are present everywhere despite his efforts to cut them short,” the source informed.

He noted that the three Obas the Deji is waging war against and using the courts against are Osolo of Isolo, Iralepo of Isinkan (Akure South) and the Ireshi of Osi (Akure North). “And I have asked the three Obas to know what really happened and they all said they did not know how, where and when they offended him.” He reiterated that how the Deji is so confident, in spite of all facts of history, that he would get judgment delivered in his favour continues to be a matter that must be addressed by the Ondo State Government.

On whether Deji is aware of the report of the Ajama Commission of Enquiry, he said, “He knows about the Ajama but I just don’t understand his thinking because it is on this Ajama that he sued Iralepo to court and they are in court right now. It is on it that he sued the Osolo and Ireshi of Osi to court. He said Ajama did not take his consent before approval and that the state government did not get his consent before they pronounced the Osolo, Iralepo and Ireshi of Osi as Obas.

“And he knows that this Ajama had passed through the Ondo State Executive Council and the Ondo State House of Assembly and the Ondo State Government had released White Paper on it and it has become a law. It is now a reality that the matter of Osolo, Iralepo and Ireshi of Osi are indisputably constitutional chieftaincy matter just like all other kings that Ajama approved.

“Now, you have taken those three kings to court seeking for judgment to pronounce you as consenting authority, which he had already gotten through an earlier judgement he got and which he used to sue to sue Iralepo to court the moment he was presented the Staff of Office in 2021 but the Deji was defeated. That is what he now used to appeal and which Appeal Court granted him judgment over.

“Maybe he is thinking that has superseded AJAMA, I don’t know, but it will be so funny of him to think so. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has spoken and he spoke the truth to the Deji, if he really understands, that he has no right to do what he is doing against the three Obas. The Governor said even the Deji too migrated from somewhere. He should just leave them alone or the government will be invoked to do the needful.

“I also feel that the Deji of Akure the way he runs after the governor to say, ‘My governor, my people’s governor’ and that people should vote for the governor, he feels that having done that, if he begins to assert all of these undue positions, manipulations and transgression to other Obas’ territories, Governor Aiyedatiwa will turn his eyes away to allow him do the unlawful because he helped and stood by him during election. You cannot claim to help and stand by somebody and all of the achievements of that person you are destroying them to his own face. It is not done! Let the Deji of Akure Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo be told,” he said.

The threat

According to him, “Okay now, let us assume that he carried that threat of marching his illegal high chief to the palace of Oba Iralepo yesterday (Sunday), I would not know how many deaths, burnt houses would have been recorded. If all of that happened yesterday, would Governor Aiyedatiwa be able to say he wants to do swearing in this morning (Monday)? If Ondo State is burning right now, would Aiyedatiwa be able to say ‘Let’s go to the stadium for my swearing in?’

“In essence, what I am telling you is that this Deji of Akure tried to obstruct the swearing in of Governor Aiyedatiwa but we averted it because we chose to reinforce Isinkan to foil execution of the plot. If not so, Ondo State would have been on fire by now and that would be to the credit of Deji of Akure Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo, who tried to take the law into his own hand in the name of executing a court judgement without adequate knowledge.”

Don’t let Deji turn Ondo State to Ife and Modakeke under your watch, Governor told

In his own submission, the Ireshi of Osi, Akure North Local Government, His Royal Majesty Oba David Olajide, said what we were told by the anonymous about the behaviour of Deji of Akure was truth and nothing but the truth.

Oba Olajide accused Deji saying, “We receive reports of how his boys go around boasting of their ability to always get judgement in any case he presents to court. If some rumours are therefore going round about him buying judgment, and the Deji never checked these boys against the way they so boast, who then do you blame? I mean I don’t understand! Don’t we any longer have law in this country? They are saying in the whole of Akure North I am the most troublesome. It is not true. That was why I told them on a platform yesterday (Sunday) that I know that I am not a stupid person and I know my right and then the Kebiyesi (Deji) himself knows that I am more brave than him. Why would you be challenging things that do not concern you?

“Okay you took me, Osolo and Iralepo to court challenging us that we did not get consent from you. I said I am from Akure North. What right do you have to come to Akure North and ask me to come and collect consent letter from you in Akure South? The AJAMA circular then during the Mimiko administration said ‘Go and get consent letter from your Local Government’s prescribed authority, which I did. Oloba of Oba Ile was the prescribed authority to me at that time and Oloba gave it to me. I was installed in July 2014 and he (Deji) was installed in July 2015 and I am one year ahead of the throne.

“You are now saying I didn’t collect a consent letter from you and so you are taking me to court. Was it when you were PA (Personal Assistant) to Tayo Alasoadura that I would come to you for a consent letter? Then it was Regent on the throne in Akure during AJAMA and Regent did not write consent letters and I had no right to go from my own Local Government to another Local Government to collect consent letters. I knew the right thing to do, which I did.

“So, what gut do you have, if not that you simply like to cause trouble and disturb the peace of the land that you say the reason you are fighting me is because I am the one supporting the Akure North Obas. Are they fools in Akure North that you think they cannot speak for themselves?”

On Iralepo matter

The Osi Monarch continued, “Then, you said you got judgment against Iralepo. The certificate, the Instrument of Office that Iralepo has is what he has as Deji. You lack the power to challenge to say you are writing suspension for somebody with whom you are mates, with whom you are colleagues. Do he (Deji) have any such power? His certificate does not carry any grade; respect is to say ‘Grade A’, ‘Grade B’. The certificate only carries ‘Oba so, so, so’. That is what you have on the certificate you were issued as Deji. Same to certificates given to other Obas.

“So, if you say you have judgement, fine, we are not saying you don’t have judgment either you used your money to buy it or not, we are less concerned. That person has the right to go to the Supreme Court to appeal at least in 90 days. If that person did not appeal, then you will go back to court to get the warrant of possession or warrant of whatever. It is the court that will process and write to government asking the government to withdraw the certificate. Not until then you can say you are executing judgment.

“What power does Deji have to say he revokes a certificate that White Paper on AJAMA Report brought out? It is wrong! Don’t we have laws in this country again? What he has done is take the law into his own hand because he has no right to executive that judgment by himself. It is only the government that has the right to withdraw certificates presented to Iralepo, not any Oba. Deji has no right to say he suspends him. For what?

“Okay you said you suspend (an Oba) but that you have appointed another person not even as a king but as a chief. This is the same person who contested to be Oba Irelepo but lost and who has now accepted the so-called appointment as high chief Iralepo. That is the ridicule the Deji of Akure wants to turn the whole Akure North, Akure South to. That is their plan. They want to pocket everybody.

“Thank God for Mr. Governor. I love the speech by Mr. Governor yesterday. People you find in one community and the other today migrated from one place to another. We know the history of Akure. With my own age, in 1970s what was the size of Akure. He said I am telling history. How would I not tell history? I am a traditional Oba, I am not an Olu. Osi is a very important town. Osi is an ancient town in Ondo State. We migrated from Ise Ekiti, fine.

“Like the Governor said, there is no town that did not migrate from one place to another. When we came to this place was he the one that gave us land? Oba Ile had existed for over 500 years before Asodeboyede migrated to Akure. Is it an ancient that had been existing before you came that you are now claiming you gave them land? This is very wrong. How can a tenant claim he gave the landlord a house? It is wrong.

“Moreso, let me be clearer to you here, when I said I got consent to be recognized as an Oba, that was because it was the first time an Oba was being recognized in my community. Any Oba that would be installed after me will never require consent from any prescribed authority.”

How to ensure justice

On whether he was not worried that in view of all the facts of history, some judges would sit down and grant judgement in favour of Deji of Akure, he said, “That was why I asked if we still have law. Because if we know that we have law, those judges will sit down, they will look into Morgan Chieftaincy, look into AJAMA and the White Paper before they give judgement now.

“Before, Deji of Akure was a minor Oba under Elekole or Ewi Ado or whatever Ekiti. We have the document. We have all the evidence. Akure was just a sub under Ekiti then. He was a minor Oba but during the White man time when D.O., District Office like Local Government was created and Deji became a standalone in Akure Division then just like Local Government. Now, those kings of those days, if they now rise up to say because he was minor Oba under them that time and that now he must be chief, would that happen?”

He touched on the area that confirms a threat from Deji’s palace. “I told Michael Adeyeye (Chief Press Secretary to the Deji of Akure) that I am a businessman and so you cannot threaten me. They were calling to tell me that Emi Loka (that it was my turn after Isinkan). I said what is my concern? Those unruly boys asking me to come and beg somebody that is the Deji and I asked them, did I offend anybody that I would come to now beg him? I know I’m right. I told them I am a businessman, I don’t beg from anybody, I am not an indoor Oba, I have my business. Can any Oba challenge Mike Adenuga or can any Oba challenge Alhaji Aliko Dangote?

“As I became an Oba, I came to use that as an opportunity to improve and develop my town. It was God’s doing that I came to do that and I am doing it and the town is progressing and the Deji is angry. Since you became the Deji of Akure and upon all the people’s land that you sell, how many developments have you brought to the town?

“Let him proceed on his case and let me see who will say I have no right to collect consent in my own local government and it is from him I should have gone to collect consent.

“As for Isolo, Isinkan, already they were recognized. That stood but you went to court. Another one, AJAMA came, it favoured them and also recognized them and all of these things passed through White Paper. Those judges did not see those papers and look at them. Haaaaaaaa! It’s very wrong.”

The king said what he would tell Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa if he called all the Obas of the state to a hall for everybody to say his mind. “I would tell him, Your Excellency, you could not open your eyes and allow this man to destroy this state under your watch. Akeredolu upgraded in his own town of Owo so nobody can say he did partial work in other places. How many upgraded Obas in Owo have Olowo of Owo taken to court? How many in Ondo town that Osemawe has taken to court? Ikare, others? Why is Deji of Akure the only one that is just there to cause trouble, making life so hard for himself? He wants to pocket everybody. Let them bring the history of Akure and we will tell them. Akure was an amalgamation. Some communities were already existing before Asodeboyede came and formed the amalgamation. Let us come out and let Mr. Governor ask us to come tell our histories and let the Deji tell his own history. All the things he is doing are too wrong. We are just looking at them and if we are looking at them they should know that they need to watch it. These things do not make sense.

“I will tell the Governor, Sir, don’t let this man turn Ondo State to Modakeke and Ife because this is the same problem that happen between Modakeke and Ife. The guy he said he installed as High Chief now cannot go to Isinkan without the situation degenerating into crisis. They will burn houses and they will kill people. The same thing was how the Ife and Modakeke war started. The Governor should urgently caution them and wade into the situation because the moment Isinkan escalates, Isolo will escalate and it will go on like that until it snowballs into a larger state crisis. All eyes are now open and nobody can pocket anybody any longer.”

Advice to Akure township people 

On his advice to the Akure sons and daughters over this attitude of their Deji, the Osi Monarch said, “Some people even gathered themselves saying they want to do reconciliation. Those good indigenes have tried their best but this