Some members of Osun State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party under the aegis of Concerned PDP Members in Ifedayo Local Government Area of the state, have called on Governor Ademola Adeleke against approving the selection of traditional rulers with pending court cases and those who have been accused of having questionable characters.
Specifically, they urged Adeleke to tread with caution by not allowing the members of the state Chapter of the All Progressives Congress to turn his administration to lawless government over the controversy surrounding the Asa Ooni stool.
They said their advice came on the heels of alleged insinuation that Governor Adeleke has been pressurised by some APC members in connivance with certain members of PDP in the state into approving a member of the opposition APC as Asaooni of Ora-Igbomina by jettisoning the ongoing legal suit in HOS/95/2024 in respect to the said traditional stool.
The suit was filed by Olomoofe Adebowale Ayantoye Adedayo, the Head of Orolotimoyewa Ruling House, the next ruling house to produce a candidate to fill the vacant stool of Asaooni of Ora-Igbomina over the allegation of the impersonation leveled against the five members of the ruling house including one Johnson Adekanmi Alani Abikoye who has been claiming of being selected as AsaOoni-elect through the impersonation process.
According to them, “The said five members of the ruling house were also dragged before the Nigeria Police Force over the criminal allegation of impersonation of the head of the ruling house by claiming that the head of the ruling house had died and buried which made them to submit an illegal and impersonation letter to the officials of the Ifedayo Local Government area of the State in respect of nomination of APC member (Johnson Adekanmi Alani Abikoye) who is unqualified candidate for the stool of Asaooni.”
In a letter dated 7th November, 2024 and signed by Mr. Ayo Fadeyan, the Coordinator of the PDP Forum, a copy of which was forwarded to Governor Adeleke and his relevant cabinet members for their notification and necessary action on the burning issue, the PDP members urged the governor not to listen to any person that was advising him to result to self-help on the stool, urging Adeleke to resist the temptation from those they described as “enemies of due process and rule of law on the matter.”
Addresing Adeleke, they said: “We are using this opportunity to appeal to our amiable Excellency, Asiwaju Ademola Adeleke not to allow APC members in collaboration with certain PDP elements to mislead the Governor to approve anyone out of the candidates contesting for the Asaooni stool when the matter is before the Court of Law.
“We have shown concern because of the interest of the PDP at our hearts as some certain elements can decamp to sister party and be shifting blame on our leader, Asiwaju Ademola Adeleke after they might have misled our amiable governor on certain decisions.
“Your Excellency Sir, we want to draw your attention to certain actions taken by the APC Government during their administration in respect Obaship stool in the state, like Igbajo, Iwo, Ikirun, Iree, Awo, and some other towns which are too numerous to mention and everything is now history.
“We are not saying our amiable Governor Adeleke should politicize the Chieftaincy stool of AsaOoni but it is our belief that any person to be choosen should be a man of unquestionable character and his pedigree must speak volume and such person should not be the one being padded around as allegedly being rusticated from the University over cultism, school result racketeering and examination malpractices with unruly and bad behaviours as contained in our said earlier letter.
“Your Excellency Sir, we are of the view that Our Asiwaju Ademola Adeleke should know that the same APC would be the same party to be first to turn around to criticize you by claiming that Ademola Adeleke administration is a lawless government that does not have respect for the rule of law if any crisis occurs as next governorship election is gathering momentum.
“Sir, we are moving to the critical period of the re-election bid of your Excellency, we need to be handling the issue like this with extra care, “Ki a maa so ori olori, ki awodi maa gbe tiwa o”, in a situation where the Head of the ruling house that supposed to produce the candidate to fill the vacant stool has resulted the matter to Court, it has made the effort of our Excellency to wait until the outcome of the Court like Ikirun Obaship tussle.”
The Forum therefore advised Governor Adeleke to allow the State Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Wole Jimi-Bada to take over the issue once the head of the ruling house that should produce a candidate to fill the vacant stool of Asaooni has taken its fraudulent members to Court in respect of the stool, adding that they have brought less burden on the State Government until the matter is settled in court.
