Ara Obaship Tussle: Osun Govt Denies Appointment Of Candidate, Warns Impostors

By Ismaeel Uthman

The ongoing royal crisis on the throne of Alara of Ara, an ancient town in Egbedore Local Government of the state of Osun, might be far from over, as the state government has denied approving the appointment of anybody to occupy the stool.

It would be recalled that the Alara of Ara stool became vacant when the occupant of the stool, Oba Sumonu Omolaoye Ekundayo, Adumari II joined his ancestors in February 2010.

Since the departure of the late Oba Ekundayo, Ara community had been thrown into royal crisis with two royal families, Ajadi and Agbetusi laying claims to the throne.

In the struggle to get to the throne, the Ajadi ruling house filed a suit before an Osun state High Court in 2010, challenging the eligibility of Agbetusi to contest the stool.

The suit was filed by the Head of Ajadi ruling house, Emmanuel Oladejo against a business mogul, Chief Amuda Lawal popularly called Obelawo representing the Agbetusi ruling house

Delivering its judgment on January 23, 2019, Justice Rotimi Ogunleye affirmed that it is the turn of Ajadi ruling house to produce the next Alara of Ara.

However, contrary to the court judgment, some kingmakers have allegedly installed one Iwindapo Olubayo as the new Alara of Ara on January 28, 2019 illegally.

But the state government has denied appointing anybody to be installed as the new Alara of Ara, describing the purported installation of Olubayo as illegal.

In a press statement signed by the Supervisor, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Barr Adejare Adebisi, the government said the purported installation of Olubayo was a flagrant disregard of Section 21 of the Chiefs Law, Cap 25, Laws of the state of Osun, 2002.

Adebisi said that it is only the state government that can approve the appointment of occupant of the stool, maintaining that the government was yet to approve the appointment of any of the contestants to the stool.

According to him, the stool of Alara of Ara is a part II (recognised) and was still vacant; noting that anyone parading himself as Alara is an impostor and the action is in flagrant disregard of the law.

Adejare stated that “both the persons that purportedly installed someone and the person who permitted himself to be installed have acted against the law and the security agents have been requested to enforce the law on them.”

Osun Defender gathered that the Ministry of Justice has forwarded a letter, signed by Mr Wole Adejumobi to the Commissioner of Police, Mr Adeoye Fimihan, requesting the intervention of the security agent.