Landlords, residents and community leaders of all the 63 communities that formed Orile-Ilawo, Alagbagba, in the Odeda Local Government Area in Ogun State, have kicked against the declaration of one Alex McGregor as the Oba-elect of the community.

The residents, on Friday, stormed the palace of the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Osile of Oke Ona, the Ogun State Governor’s office, and other notable places in the state to protest against the choice of McGregor as the Oba-elect of Ilawo.

The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions, including, ‘Our Orile needs a son of the soil; imposition is not allowed, we will not be silenced,’ ‘Traditional values and morals laid by our forefathers have been jettisoned,’ ‘Save us from this menace called McGregor,’ ‘I love Ilawo, where is McGregor from?’ among others.

Speaking on behalf of the 63 baales present, the Baale of Asiwaju Village, Alagbagba, Chief Rafiu Sodiya, who read a petition written to different stakeholders in the state, alleged that the local government authorities connived with some chiefs supporting McGregor to ensure his emergence as the Oba-elect of the community.That the petition was signed by the 63 baales that formed Orile-Ilawo, alongside 32 other community leaders.

He claimed that McGregor was not part of the names screened and presented by the Ilawo council of chiefs to the local government as a potential successor to the stool.

He also alleged that his name was added at the last minute by officials of the council and some chiefs supporting his candidacy.

The chief stressed that McGregor was not a member of the two ruling houses of Ariku and Lerin lineages that could lay claim to the throne.

He said, “Verifiable history, from several generations, has it that both lineages were the progenitors of all the villages in Orile Ilawo, Alagbagba, which we all know and accept as our original homestead and where the Obaship stool was created specifically for. The same progenitors have a traceable link to Ilawo townships in Oke Ogun.

“In an effort to assert this historical fact, the current Akogun of Ilawo, Chief Lawrence Ogunsanya, of the Ariku Ruling House, a direct descendant of Oolotan (Ariku), and another personality from the Lerin Ruling House, have been chosen among other candidates to fill the stool.

“Chief Lawrence Ogunsanya is our frontline man with an all-round capacity to lead. We, the baales, elders and youths jointly reject the alien and absurd attempt to foist Alex McGregor on us. There is no fairness or moral justification in bringing in a man who has no ties to us at Orile which the obaship stool is given. We, the Ilawo clan have a right to ask to be governed by one of us, any original blood line, not an alien.”

The Oba-elect, however, described the allegations as unfounded and untrue.

McGregor told our correspondent that his emergence as the traditional ruler of the community followed due process, adding that he won an election.

His personal assistant, Odu Temitope, who spoke on his behalf, said the traditional stool of the community was created by the government and did not have any declaration that could make a ruling house lay claim to it.

He said, “It was the father of the Oba-elect that facilitated how the stool got to the community. The stool is a government created stool and not a traditional one.

“Due process was followed and he won by getting six votes out of nine. Government representatives and the DSS were present at the election ground.”

When contacted, the Odeda LG chairperson, Folasade Adeyemo, said the aggrieved residents could approach the court if they felt cheated.

She insisted that due process was followed in choosing a new monarch for the community.

She said, “As far as I know, they followed due process and I don’t wish to entertain any question on it.”

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