Ogun community protest alleged imposition of monarch

2026-03-03 - 20:48

By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta Residents of Igbokoto-Isale in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, on Tuesday stormed the State Governor’s Office at Oke Mosan, protesting what they described as alleged imposition of a traditional ruler on their community. The protesters, made up of elders, youths and community leaders, called on Governor Dapo Abiodun to intervene and ensure adherence to the town’s long-established rotational system of succession to the Obaship stool. Led by the Regent, Chief Mustapha Kolawole, the demonstrators maintained that a valid gazette and declaration guiding the selection process for the Oba exist and must be respected. According to them, the approved arrangement provides for rotation of the Obaship among three recognised ruling houses — Osupa, Obagan and Oyori; in that order. They explained that the immediate past monarch, Oba Ganiu Adegbola Olukunle, who ascended the throne in 1998, hailed from the Osupa ruling house, insisting that it is now the turn of the Obagan ruling house to produce the next Oba. The Obagan family, the protesters said, unanimously nominated Prince Daniel Olufemi as its candidate. However, they alleged that the state government disregarded the nomination on the grounds that the community lacked a formal declaration. They further accused the government of sidelining the existing kingmakers and constituting an 11-member Warrant Chiefs panel, five of whom were allegedly from the Olukunle family, to facilitate the emergence of another candidate. The protesters insisted that a subsisting declaration, allegedly approved by the Yewa Traditional Council, clearly stipulates rotation among the three ruling houses. They alleged that the newly appointed monarch, Tajudeen Adeoye Olukunle, is an immediate younger brother of the late king, and that five members of his family were among the 11 warrant chiefs involved in the selection process. Describing the development as a breach of due process and a threat to peace, the community leaders warned that the situation could destabilise the town if not urgently addressed. The protesters also claimed that the Yewa Traditional Council had earlier cautioned against appointing another monarch from the Osupa ruling house. In a letter dated October 6, 2025, and addressed to the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Council reportedly insisted that it was the turn of the Obagan ruling house to produce the next Oba. The letter was signed by the Council’s President and the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Kehinde Olugbenle, who warned that appointing a monarch from the same ruling house as the late king would be “unfair and self-centred” and capable of triggering unrest. Also speaking, the youth leader of the community, Adeniyi Ebenezer, cautioned that imposing a candidate contrary to established tradition and legal provisions could disrupt the peace of the town. Reacting to the allegations, the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ganiyu Hamzat, said due process was followed in the appointment of the new monarch. He stated that in the absence of a formal declaration, the government constituted warrant chiefs in line with existing procedures, adding that the Ministry of Justice gave approval to the process. “They don’t have a declaration. What do we do? We appoint warrant chiefs, and whoever they decide to vote for, so be it. Anyone who is not pleased can approach the court,” he said.