Residents of Gbokoto – Isale, in the Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, trooped to the streets in protest against the planned imposition of a politician on them by officials of the Yewa North Local Government as the next traditional ruler without the consent of the town’s council of kingmakers.
The placard bearing protesters, which included the youths, elderly men, women, all sons and daughters of the ancient Yewa town, accused officials of the Local Government of conniving with some politicians to install Tajudeen Olukunle; one of the sons of the immediate past monarch of town, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ganiyu Adegbola Olukunle as the next traditional ruler.
Describing the development as wrong and unacceptable, the protesters argued that the step is allien to the selection and installation process of a monarch for the stool.
Chanting varying emotional laden choruses to drive home their “Save Our Soul” messages, the protesters also carried placards bearing different inscriptions and appealed to the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration to prevail on officials of the Yewa North Local Government to desist from politicizing selection process for the stool.
Speaking with journalists during the protest, one of the palace chiefs, the Asipa of Gbokoto – Isale, Chief Akapo Olugbami disclosed that the Yewa North Local Government officials violated the existing laws by inaugurating a 7-man Warrant Chiefs who sat and consequently settled for Tajudeen Olukunle to succeed his father, as against the Chieftaincy Declaration of the town.
Akapo explained that the said Chieftaincy Declaration of year 2000 for the stool of Gbokoto -Isale clearly prescribed that ascension to the throne should be on rotational base and as such, YNLG’s pickation of the son of the immediate past monarch, Tajudeen is an illegality and an affront on the Chieftaincy Declaration.
To conform with the Chieftaincy Declaration, Asipa of Gbokoto, Akapo further explained that since the demise of Oba Olukunle, the next traditional ruler of the town ought to have come from the Obagan ruling House, instead of the Osupa ruling House where the Local Government had repeatedly picked Tajudeen.
Also speaking with journalists, another palace chief, the 85-years old Iya-Oba of Gbokoto, Chief (Mrs.) Deborah Obayomi also corroborated Akapo’s position, stressing that the rotational base recognised three royal families for the stool: Oyoro, Osupa and Obagan.
Madam Deborah further explained that the duo of Oyoro and Osupa have taken their turns and that it is now the turn of Obagan to occupy the stool, which she alleged that local government officials are now compromising.
Emphasising that the YNLG’s action at inaugurating a 7-man committee (Warrant Chiefs) to select the next monarch for Gbokoto-Isale would be setting a bad precedence for the stool of the ancient Yewa town, the duo of the Asipa Akapo and Madam Obayomi warned YNLG not to politicise the process for the ascension to the stool of their forefathers, as doing so could spark an unresolved communal crisis in the town.
They however, appealed to the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun to urgently prevail on officials of Yewa North Local Government to stop further action on the process and direct them to respect the age-long tradition laid down by the Chieftaincy Declaration of Gbokoto-Isale in the interest of peace in their community.
