Thrones are an emblem of power, leadership, and authority. When a royal throne is occupied, it generally implies that the heart of its people are united and the lofty ideals of collective peace and communal progress are at hand.
Inadvertently, when the throne is unoccupied, every conceivable utopia is a distant and foreign country, peace crawls safely back into ‘those good old days’, and progress is only of the individual – leaving nothing for the community.
Through no fault of their own, the people of Iruland in Lagos State have lost the leadership of their kingdom, leaving no royal bottom to grace the royal stool. Whilst the worst outcome of a democratic election in Nigeria is a corrupt, self-serving government that endures for eight years – max, traditional elections require more deliberation, finesse and lots and lots of mortal and divine will; terrible outcomes include traditional rulers who tend to outlive regimes altogether.
Three ruling Houses are reportedly recognized to be entitled to the Oniru Royal Throne: the Abisogun, the Akiogun, and the Ogunyemi Houses. These Houses are inherently charged with the duty and responsibility of providing credible, reliable and honourable candidacy, out of which – after a careful, thoughtful and guided electoral process – emerges the King. Nowhere is it speculated that the electoral process imitates a bazaar, with published audacity and private odium commingling under the currents of expectant jubilation. But it is what it is.
The most apparent study of this sprints from very recent developments within the Abisogun ruling House. Ordinarily, there is an approved rotation to be observed in what House the Oba emerges from – a prudent system that relegates the pressure of elections within a House rather than between Houses. With this system in place, the Abisogun House are next in line to produce a fitful candidate after the demise of Oba Idowu Abiodun Oniru. This is why the leaves of drama are growing wide and fresh within the Abisogun House.
A communique was released by members of the house which signalled that Prince Hakeem Ajasa, a chief superintendent of police, had been selected for the throne. Before the kettle had grown warm, however, another communique was published from a different section of the house. The latter dismissed the selection of the said candidate, labelled the process as ‘kangaroo’, and indicted the supposed king-to-be of harassment and intimidation.
The house divided against itself must stand for the sake of the royal stool, or unrest will prevail in Iruland.
