Rift Escalates in Ogun Community as Chiefs Accuse Lawmaker of Interfering in Obaship Selection
Community leaders in Igbogila, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, have accused state lawmaker Adegoke Adeyanju, popularly known as Awoso, of meddling in the process to select a new Olu of Igbogila, an allegation the legislator has firmly denied.
Speaking at a press briefing held at the Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists secretariat in Abeokuta, the chiefs alleged that Adeyanju was fuelling unrest in his bid to install a favoured candidate, Mr. Daniel Opebiyi, as monarch.
Chief Semiu Bammeke, who led the delegation alongside Bashorun Atanda Ajibade and the Akogun of Igbogila, Chief Charles Olaotan, claimed the lawmaker connived with relatives of the late Oba Ebenezer Olanloye to remove five traditional chiefs when the monarch was ill.
Bammeke alleged that the suspension letters used against the chiefs were forged, adding that forensic analysis requested by the elders supported their claim.
“Honourable Adegoke Adeyanju, fondly called Awoso, is determined to set the whole town on fire,” Bammeke said. “But for the wisdom of the chiefs and elders, his desperation would have thrown Igbogila into chaos.”
He further accused the lawmaker of installing four new kingmakers in place of the suspended chiefs and of sponsoring protests to destabilise the community.
The elders appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to wade into the dispute before it escalates.
However, in a swift reaction, Adeyanju dismissed the allegations as false, insisting he had no hand in the succession tussle.
“The suspended chiefs were lawfully removed by the late Oba Olanloye, and those who replaced them were installed by him before his demise,” Adeyanju stated. “Even the deputy governor sent representatives during the ceremony.”
He said both sides had presented forensic reports to justify their positions, adding that his only concern was the prolonged vacancy on the throne.
“I’m an indigene and a palace chief but not a kingmaker. I have no interest in who becomes king. I only want peace and for a monarch to be installed after more than three years without one,” he explained.
The lawmaker also denied sponsoring protests, saying community members acted out of frustration over the leadership vacuum.
Meanwhile, residents recently staged a peaceful demonstration demanding an end to the impasse. Carrying placards with messages such as “Enough is Enough” and “Give Us a Substantive King,” protesters urged the governor to intervene.
A resident, Mrs. Olusola Adebayo, lamented that the absence of a traditional ruler was stalling development.
“We are tired of the crisis. Our community can’t move forward without leadership. We are begging Governor Abiodun to help us,” she said.
The town has remained without a monarch since the death of Oba Olanloye over three years ago, with disputes among the kingmakers and factions deepening divisions in the community.
