By Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
In what could be likened to a royal rumble, two prominent Obas in Ekiti State, the Oloye of Oye Ekiti, Oba Oluwole Ademolaju and the Olukere of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Ganiyu Obasoyin are currently in a verbal war over the directive that the latter should stop parading himself as a monarch. Oba Ademolaju, is the Chairman of the Ekiti State Council of Obas, who has been intervening in the lingering supremacy crisis between Obasoyin and a first class traditional ruler and Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu. Oba Adu and members of Ogoga-in-Council had last year directed Obasoyin to stop calling himself an Oba, saying he remains a mere chief priest in the town. The state Council of Obas had in a statement last Thursday signed by Oba Ademolaju said Olukere should not be addressed as a king since he was yet to be recognised as such by the state government.
“Olukere has not been granted recognition by the government and I think it will do him a lot of honour to stop calling himself an Oba pending the time his case will be thoroughly sorted out,†he advised. But addressing journalists in his palace yesterday, Obasoyin insisted that he remains a traditional ruler in Ekiti State despite the position of the State Council of Traditional Rulers to the contrary. Obasoyin said it was wrong for the council to issue a statement and address newsmen to say that he should not be addressed as an Oba when a panel set up by the body on his status was yet to release its report. “The drama playing out is the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob. I want to advise our Obas in the state not to allow themselves to be used by politicians. “Nothing can obliterate the institution of Olukere which had been in existence for ages.
The latest position of the Obas had cast a doubt on the report being expected from them on my status. “I want you to know that the institution of Olukere precedes or predates the creation of Ekiti State itself. The institution of Olukere has been there before Ekiti State was created. “Government does not make an Oba, government only recognizes Oba; it is the people of the community that make an Oba. “The Council of Obas visited me here in this palace sometime last year and they saw all what we have in this palace including artifacts, historical sites and the pictures of the past Olukeres and they saw them in their crowns. “I believe if they have anything against such, they would have raised it when they visited me then but I don’t want to engage my most respected Obas in any war of words. “I have seen the report even though it was unexpected and came to me as a rude shock. With happenings of recent, the government of Governor Ayodele Fayose, I believe is trying everything possible to destroy the institution of Olukere.â€
