Obaship crisis: Ikereku Chiefs lying, we didn’t attend any meeting with them – Ogunmakin Baales

Traditional heads of the villages which form Ogunmakin town in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State have refuted claims by Ikereku chiefs that they (the Baales), held a meeting with them last week and endorsed one of the contenders for the throne of Olu of Ogunmakin as Oba-elect. According to the Ogunmakin Baales, the Ikereku chiefs lied about the alleged meeting and its purported outcome.

The Baales also insisted that they remain a factor to reckon with in the nomination of the next traditional ruler of Ogunmakin town. The village heads said this on Sunday, adding that they will not back down in their struggle to ensure that a non-indigene does not succeed late Oba James Sodiya, who died in 2023.

Explaining what transpired, the Baales, led by Chief Oke Oladipupo (Regent of Ogunmakin town), Chief Jimoh Sanyaolu (Baba Loja of Ogunmakin), Chief Sotomi Ebenezer

(Baale of Ayegunle), Chief Aremu Bisiriyu (Baale Eruwon) and Chief Olutayo Pius, while speaking to pressmen, said Ikereku Chiefs visited a gathering where only one of them, Baale Seriki Sotayo, was present, adding that at no time was the issue of endorsing an Oba-elect raised at the meeting . “It was at one of our regular meetings in the area last Wednesday. Ogunmakin had only one Baale, Seriki Sotayo, in attendance.

“The other Baales there were from other towns, not Ogunmakin and they could not have endorsed an Oba-elect for us,” the Baales said.

They added that the Ikereku Chief later left the meeting for Debonre, a neighboring community under Ajebo town to convene another meeting which had no Ogunmakin Baale in attendance, where the alleged endorsement was announced.

“That is not a representation of what the good people of Ogunmakin want. We are insisting that Ikereku Chief should not impose a non-indigene on us as King,” the added.

Recall that during a recent press conference held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Ogunmakin Baales had alleged that Ikereku traditional council was attempting to impose a non-indigene, identified as Ramoni Busari, popularly called Jawe, said to be from Ibadan in Oyo State, as the next royal father of Ogunmakin, a border community situated between Oyo and Ogun States.

Ikereku Council of Chiefs last Wednesday responded with a warning to the Baales in Ogunmakin to end their resistance and put an end to the Obaship tussle, insisting that Busari Ayinde Olashile has been chosen as Olu of Ogunmakin.

But Ogunmakin Baales while standing by their protest at the Governor’s Office in Abeokuta, said there is no amount of threat that will force them to back out. “We boldly stand by our decision to reject the plot by Ikereku Chiefs to impose a stranger as the next Olu of Ogunmakin. That is why we went to protest at the Governor’s Office,” they added.