One of the kingmakers in Ikere Ekiti and Saya of Odo-Oja, Chief Foluso Olowolafe has threatened to sue Ogoga of Ikere , Oba Adejimi Adu, over attempt to depose him.
Chief Olowolafe predicated his plight on his alleged tacit conviviality with Olukere, Oba Ganiyu Obasoyin, a known rival and threat to the throne of Ogoga.
The two monarchs have been at loggerheads over who is the authentic
traditional ruler, with Olukere claiming that he remains an Oba and the founder of the town while Ogoga described former as a mere chief priest in the town.
Olowolafe who spoke with journalists in Wednesday explained that plan by Oba Adejimi to remove him as a chief was a attempt to desecrate the tradition of the town and breach the wish of people, especially members of the four ruling houses he represents .
According to him, he was decorated with the chieftaincy title in 2010
during the reign of the late Oba Adegoke Adegboye after careful
selection , saying Ogoga lacks the requisite constitutional or
traditional power to either remove or derecognize him.
Olowlafe said: “I was one of the kingmakers who installed Ogoga. I
acted as the Secretary during the installation process. No amount of
threat will force me out of this position. So, the plan by Oba
Adejimi to remove me was a complete aberration.
“How can an Oba threaten to remove a kingmaker who made him just
because of rumour? I will be left with no option than to go to court
to exert my fundamental human rights should he go ahead to carry out
the threat.
“The tradition is very clear and the State Chieftaincy Statute is
unambiguous about how a kingmaker can be removed. I have not
breached any of the set criteria to warrant anybody threatening me
with deposition.
“This attempt to depose me from the position of my forebears is not
in conformity with the wish of the people . I am particularly happy
that my people are behind me and on their strength I am relying on”.
Olowolafe , however, pledged to embrace any step taken by well-meaning indigenes to resolve the crisis, just as he appealed to the people to impress it on the monarch the need to shelve the plot against him.
Source: Leadership
