Owa of Igbajo: Osun APC faults state govt’s decision

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State has faulted the decision of the state government to appoint a new Owa of Igbajo.

The party in a statement by its chairman, Tajudeen Lawal stated that the stool was still a subject of pending lawsuits.

Expressing displeasure with the appointment of a new Owa of Igbajo, the Osun APC chairman said, “Is Governor Adeleke not aware that there are subsisting cases on the Obaship conundrum in three competent courts of law and that he, as the state governor, is a defendant in all the suits?

“Would it be right in the estimation of Governor Adeleke that he should be a judge in his own case?

“Thank God that the judiciary in whom we have absolute confidence would adjudicate with fairness on the issue.

“I am telling Governor Adeleke with an air of finality that he would be disgraced on the Oba Famodun’s issue.

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“Oba Phillips Adegboyega Famodun is the duly recognised Owa of Igbajo while any other one is a mere impostor who should be treated as such as two monarchs cannot exist in a town.

“Through this medium, I am appealing to the good people of Igbajo to remain resolute and law-abiding in the face of brazen provocation by the government which ideally should encourage peace and not violence.”

TrackNews Media recalls that the Owa of Igbajo stool became vacant in November 2022 when the Governor Ademola Adeleke-led Peoples Democratic Government removed Adegboyega Famodun.

Famodun, the erstwhile Osun APC chairman, was installed by the immediate-past governor, Adegboyega Oyetola of the APC.

TrackNews Media also reported that the Osun State Executive Council on Monday approved the appointment of Ademola Makinde as the new Owa of Igbajo.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Commissioner for Local Government and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi.

Governor Adeleke also removed the Aree of Iree, Oba Raphael Oluponle, and the Akirun of Ikirun, Oba Olalekan Akadiri, who were also installed by Oyetola.

The monarchs were told to vacate their palaces pending the outcome of a probe initiated into the circumstances surrounding their appointment by Oyetola.

In a white paper issued after the probe panel had submitted its report, the stools of Owa of Igbajo and Aree of Iree were declared vacant, while the government called for a fresh selection process.

The Akirun, on his part, was restrained from parading himself as a monarch pending the determination of a suit before the Court of Appeal.