Residents of Orile-Ilawo in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun state have described as laughable, the purported coronation ceremony by the embattled monarch of the community, Alexander Macgregor.
The residents described the plan by Macgregor to hold a coronation outside Orile-Ilawo as an indication that he is not accepted by the people of the community.
There are digital invitation fliers, flying around on social media of a proposed “grand coronation ceremony” of Macgregor as the Olu of Orile-Ilawo.
The event, scheduled to hold from August 31 to September 3, would have the coronation ceremony taking place at the Cultural center, Abeokuta, a location which is about several kilometers away from Ilawo.
Going through the widely circulated invitation card, it was observed that none of the activities lined up for the event is expected to take place in the community where Macgregor is expected to rule on.
Reacting, the residents said the coronation taking place outside the community proved their claim that Macgregor is not a son of the soil.
The residents said the coronation outside the community partly justifies the fact that Alexander Macgregor is facing a huge legitimacy crisis from a big swathe of the community both at the homestead and in the township.
The residents said this on Sunday at a meeting that had no fewer than 30 people from each of the communities that formed Orile-Ilawo with representatives of different groups, including Baales, Unions, and Clubs under the aegis of Ilawo Elites also present at the meeting.
Ever since the announcement and subsequent installation of the embattled monarch by the government, a substantial population of people from the community have openly protested and vehemently rejected the monarch.
Prof Wale Adetunji, an indigene of Alagbagba community in Orile-Ilawo described the situation as quite an unfortunate one.
He said, “The situation is terrible because a substantial number of our clan members know how illegitimate the process that brought this man is, and most disturbingly, virtually every part of our community, both within the township and homestead has an institutionalized memory of wrongdoing against this person history with ILAWO for many actions and yet the government did not deem it fit to know this person’s true history before imposing him on us.
“The government went completely wrong on this one. They should have developed a convincing legitimation narrative and displayed a sense of impartiality to be seen as legitimate. The government flouted all their rules on this journey and has created a crisis for us all, the indigenes. I know there are cases at the Ogun State high courts and hopefully, justice will be done to the matter.”
“The man in question is facing legitimacy challenges and will continue to face such challenges for so many obvious reasons and I can list them. In fact, aside from knowing their well-recorded history within the township, it is believed, to have surreptitiously encouraged violence throughout the Obaship process till even after he had been crowned, and perhaps a brief history lesson would have caused the decision makers to take a different approach. It is no surprise that the government model on this Obaship decision has failed again.”
The Indigenous People of Orile-Ilawo and several community groups said they are more astounded that the Ogun State government went ahead to crown Alexander Macgregor, despite the fact that several cases disputing the process were pending before the High courts.
The above question becomes imperative because of the controversy trailing the surprise coronation of the new Olu of Orile ILAWO, Alexander Macgregor In Odeda Local Government, Ogun State. The last Olu of Orile ILAWO, Oba Albert Aina had joined his ancestors in 2021.
The announcement and installation of a new Olu Orile ILAWO took people of the town and Orile ILAWO community as a surprise on Tuesday, April 25, when the news flittered in that Macgregor had been installed and crowned.
Who crowned the Oba Alexander Macgregor? That has been the question on the lips of many of the indigenes who claim bitterly that such actions from the government have only desecrated the stool of Olu of Orile ILAWO.
Chief Iyanda Kadiri said, “Please do NOT listen to Macgregor’s claim that his fathers or forefathers brought the stool of Olu of Orile ILAWO to our clan. That is a total fallacy and a blatant lie from the pit of hell. In fact, such statements credited to him only emphasize that this man does not know our history. ILAWO people have always had a crown from time immemorial. They did not crown their oba inside Abeokuta township because of an agreement made many years back then that there shouldn’t be other kings aside from all the 4 major kings in Egba and therefore, all other clans should go and crown their kings at their Orile (Homestead). Students of core Egba history will confirm this if little research is done to find the truth.
“And the way an Oba (Sacred king) is chosen is clearly prescribed and followed from generation to generation till date in Yoruba land. In fact, when a man who has the most support is chosen and vetted by IFÁ and thereafter taken through proper protocols of RITES, he goes into SECLUSION for some weeks. While there in seclusion he gets FORTIFIED, the SPIRITS of the various ÒRÌSÀS are invoked into his body through multiple means. Witches, Wizards, and the 16 SACRED CULTS of Yoruba land PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE to him and they all submit to his authority.
Things are packed into that ONE MAN the way it can never be packed into any other man in that kingdom. By the time he comes out of seclusion, he is no ordinary man and you will know it yourself. After this, then such a person is crowned and coronation follows.
“In this case, Alexander Macgregor made a waste of his time so to say. It’s a shameful case of wasted effort and resources. He got crowned even before he “considered” going through seclusion (IPEBI) and the irony of it all, he was not even crowned by the township he claims to be king over. No Apena, No Oluwo. No Balogun. No Jaguna. No Lukotun. Practically, no Iwarefa, and most unfortunately, 95% of the traditional council chiefs are not in support of this man. Why won’t he have a legitimacy problem?.
“Since his sudden installment, local radios have been airing conflicting news and disclaimers from several high-ranking chiefs and well-meaning citizens of the clan vehemently opposing such action by the government and from the feelers, this man absolutely has more than legitimacy problem. Opposing factors and factions are too much and he knows this to be the truth.”
This claim is buttressed by the fact that the man has also not been able to set foot in Orile-Ilawo, particularly not being able to even have his coronation in a community he claims to be king over and this is due to his serious legitimacy problems, and challenges ensuing from how he emerged.
“The drama ensuing from the Olu of Orile ILAWO installation to me is unfortunate because it appears unseen forces are behind the confusion created for Olu of ILAWOs throne, said Abiola Gbadebo”
“Confused and equally anxious monarch who had only been recently installed has already created a life-threatening militia group, giving them uniforms and possibly armed them with very dangerous weapons including guns. These groups, who claim to have been appointed and empowered by the monarch have been harassing and threatening people’s lives across the villages in Orile ILAWO, preventing them from going to their farms, often seizing their tools and machines and collecting ransoms on behalf of the king as they claim.”
“Macgregor has also made several attempts to harass community members with police, writing unsubstantiated petitions to virtually every police station to intimidate members of the community.”
“After so many failed attempts, he sent emissaries to placate the leadership of the town and particularly one of the contestants, who had contested for the stool, named Chief Lawrence Ogunsanya (Akogun of ILAWO) who has been described by many as the legitimate son of the soil with known patrilineal and matrilineal lineages to be of the original settlers of Orile ILAWO, to drop his pursuit of the throne, but Akogun Lawrence had rejected them all, because according to him, “If I capitulate, I would have altered the history of our household. Once he became king, it means his offspring would also be entitled to the throne and that is illegitimate.”
“Someone who many have confirmed ran out of town to Canada upon receiving the invitation of for questioning only to turn around and claim he is in seclusion (IPEBI). Who does IPEBI AFTER being crowned king already? That’s a TABOO. That action alone ridicules the stool of our forefathers and we won’t relent until has been served. Justice must prevail.” Abiola added.
“The OBA is the connection between our today’s present generation and yesterday’s generation of our ancestors. Every single activity of social, cultural, political, and spirituality in that kingdom reports to the OBA and in this case, our ancestors do not know nor recognize this one claiming to be our monarch (Oba). He has no ancestral or blood connection to the seat he is desperately occupying and claiming for himself. How can such a person, not spiritually or physically acknowledged become the physical embodiment of the Òrìsàs of our ancestral land, whom we don’t see.”
“We reckon that the so-called monarch is very desperate and struggling to grant legitimacy to his occupation of the stool. However, we need peace restored in Orile ILAWO by deposing this monarch imposed on us and pushed by a few bad eggs in this last administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun which prevented the warrant chiefs (kingmakers) to perform their statutory role. Orile ILAWO has been noted for its tranquility, peace, enterprise, and orderliness, which all flow from its hallowed traditional institution, the group enthused.”
“These time-tested values were recently ruptured by the interloper role played by some key officials in the last administration, who set aside laid-down rules in the succession procedure towards the appointment of a new Olu of Orile ILAWO, by using the instrumentality of their offices to appoint warrant officers skewed in favor of Macgregor to play the role of kingmakers”.
Our request is to plead with Royal Majesties, Alake and Osile of Egbaland and particularly the government of the day to uphold the truth and not allow the highly exalted stool of Olu of Orile Ilawo to be continually bastardized and desecrated with money. We know that posterity will judge us for whatever choice we make and that is why we are choosing we know and believe is completely right as left to us by our ancestors.”
