Some indigenes of Edunabon town in Osun State on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest over what they claimed was the state government’s delay in installing Prince Nasirudeen Adebayo as their new traditional ruler.
The protesters said Adebayo was appointed the new ruler by Governor Gboyega Oyetola after due process had been followed and the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs had given him the appointment letter.
They wondered why the installation and presentation of the staff of office to the new king had not been done since last year.
Daily Trust recalls that the Edunabon community was recently thrown into confusion over the obaship tussle and the palace burnt down by some people.
The protesters had on Tuesday morning gathered at the entrance of the town’s palace, from where they moved through many roads in the community. They carried placards with various inscriptions like ‘Nasirudeen Adebayo is our King’, ‘No Nasirudeen, No King’, and ‘Oyetola, give us our King’.
The spokesman for the protesters, Alhaji Kareem Abinukole, said “all the people of Edunabon supported Prince Nasirudeen Adebayo to become their king due to his contributions to the progress of the town.”
Abinukole said that the oracle (Ifa) had picked Adebayo before he was presented to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja ll.
According to the spokesman, “After Prince Adebayo was picked among other 12 contestants by the kingmakers, we presented him to the Ooni, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on August 25, 2018 and the Ooni gave the approval on November 22 last year. We are expecting Gov Oyetola to install Prince Adebayo as Salu Edunabon to conform with the will of the people of the town. He is the man of the people, we love him.”
Our correspondent made efforts at the Osun State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to gather the true situation on the contentious obaship matter. The ministry is yet to have a Commissioner under the Oyetola administration, neither has it a Permanent Secretary.
Daily Trust learnt the ministry is being supervised by Adejare Adebisi, a Special Adviser in the administration of the immediate past governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
Adebisi didn’t respond to calls and a message to his phone from our correspondent.
