The crisis rocking the vacant Onipokia stool has taken a new twist as four royal families of Iwaye-Dodo ruling house in ipoki kingdom of Ipokia local government of Ogun State have written a petition to the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun alleging plot by some influential people in the community to impose a traditional ruler on the town.
The petition which was signed by Prince Adenle Asade and endorsed by the other leaders of the affected ruling houses also includes, Jimoh Adekanbi of Adekanbi royal family, Adeboye Otemi of Otemi royal family, Hezekiah Okeleye from Okeleye royal family and Asade royal family.
The petitioners said, the court in its ruling on August 19, 2019 by Hon Justice Ogunfowora at the High Court sitting in Ilaro declared that the stool of Onipokia is vacant and remain vacant due to gross non-compliance with the chief law of Ogun State 2006 and directed the parties to maintain the status quo abinitio pending the final determination of the matter.
Further investigations revealed that despite the court ruling, three influential personalities on the controversial issue have continue its move to imposed one Yisa Oludola Olaniyan as the next traditional ruler of the town.
The petitioners said part of the plot to install Olaniyan, who they claimed is not an indigene of the town, was the smuggled of his purported qualification in the recent Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbele led Chieftaincy Review Committee report on the sacked 75 controversial coronets .
“As at today the trio are still held bent looking for all illegal means to achieve their evil aim in a bid to cause unrest in the town and are happy to desperately drag your administration into acting on a matter which is before the court in a constituted democracy you swore to protect”
“Now they have been creating false impressions that they are able to use their closeness to your good self as Governor to ensure the crowing of Yisa Olaniyan as Onipokia despite a pending case over the same and the ruling on the matter on 19th August, 2019”
“Your Excellency, as a fair-minded, God fearing, conscientious Governor with royal blood, we wish to let you know that the said, Yisa Olaniyan intended to be imposed on the people of Ipokia is in no way either by patrilineal or matrilineal-related to our ruling houses”
“Yisa Olaniyan is not indigenous to Anago Kingdom, whose descendants are entitled to the throne of Onipokia through any of the four ruling houses in Ipokia. Any attempt by the trio in connivance with some government officials to foist and install Yisa Olaniyan as Onipokia will amount to an illegality capable of breaching public peace, order, serious crisis, unrest and pandemonium in Ipokia land”
“We have stated this severally to the usurpers to no avail, and had to approach the court to uphold justice for the royal house which is next-in-line of succession to the Onipokia stool. We have written several letters in respect of this case to your good office. We have believe in your Excellency as a law abiding Governor that always upheld to rule of law without fear or favour. We most humbly urge your Excellency to shun any advances that might undermine the course of justice’’, the petitioners wrote
Copies of the petition has been forwarded to Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Ogun State Traditional Council, Secretary to the State Government, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Director, State Security Service and Commissioner of Police as at the time of filing this report.
