Orile-Ilawo Residents protest commissioner’s plan to impose McGregor As Oba-Elect

The residents and indigenes of Orile Ilawo community in Odeda Local government Area of Ogun State have accused the Commissioners for Chieftaincy, Hon Ganiyu Hamzat of allegedly conniving with some powerful people to impose a traditional ruler on the town.

The community, in a petition written to the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun alleged that some commissioners in the state had allegedly gone against the wish of the community led by Ilawo Council of Chiefs by approving Alex Macgregor as Olu of Orile Ilawo 'under a process shrewd with so many faults' .

The community also accused the commissioners of conspiring with certain first-class traditional rulers in Egba Council to allegedly truncate the proper process an be customs required for choosing and installation of the town’s preferred candidates from Orile Ilawo. 

The stool became vacant following the demise of Oba Lawrence Aina in 2021.

The community had written two petitions dated 11th October 2022, and 14th November, 2022 and were addressed to governor Dapo Abiodun, chairman and Secretary to local government, commissioner for Chieftaincy and Local government affairs as well as the Ministry of Justice.

The petitions were signed by Oluwo of Ilawo Clan, Chief Samson Dosunmu and attested to by Balogun og Ilawo , Chief Abraham Adisa Soyoye ), Chief Nathaniel Abati (Lukotun) and Hon Taiwo Adewuyi(Youth representative).

The community in the petitions accused the government parastatals of making sure many of their letters written directly to the governor never made it to his table for consideration of all the points raised and this has gone on for too long. We have receipt evidences for all submissions.

According to the petitions, we know your Government remains a government that restores values. We thought those you have put in position of responsibility will live above board. Alas, how mistaken we were.

The stool of Olu of Orile Ilawo Alagbagba, one of the five biggest communities in Ogun State, had been a subject of tussle since the process of selecting new king started. After McGregor was purportedly selected, it was greeted with huge protests as the clan insists that he has no roots in Orile Ilawo. 

Hoodlums allegedly from Macgregors camp went on a violent spree , matcheting whoever says or displays openly that they do not support his candidacy. That matter is also currently on going at the High court in Isabo.

The claimants have filed motion on notice for interlocutory injunction dated 30th day of November 2022 and filed on the 1st of December, 2022 which is pending before the honorable high court and when it was later discovered that the defendants, particularly the 7th defendant , Alex Macgregor is making frantic efforts to forcefully have a letter of appointment issued to him as Olu of Orile Ilawo and have himself speedily installed, even after they already had been served with all the court processes, the claimants was then compelled to file an Exparte application dated 9th of December , 2022, seeking from the honorable court an interim injunction to checkmate the unlawful activities of all the defendants.

Also people embarked on protest carrying placards with inscriptions such as, ‘Don’t impose anyone on us,’ ‘Ilawo is a peaceful town, don’t set it on fire,’ We don’t want imposition in Ilawo,’ among others, insisted that crises may unrelentlessly erupt, should government proceed with its plans to install Macgregor.

Macgregor's selection has been stiffly opposed by the indigenes and particularly members believed to be the the original bloodlines with links to the progenitors of Ilawo Clan and supposedly the tentative Ruling Houses, who have insisted that that it was their turn to produce the next Olu of Orile Ilawo. 

The imbroglio has plunged the town into a state of constant unrest both within the township and homestead. 

In the ensuing chaos, aggrieved parties including the township itself has reportedly filed not less than six(6) cases at the Abeokuta High Court. 

The community leaders and indigenes however alleged that Macgregor enjoys the backing of powerful forces in Dapo Abiodun’s government but all his schemes were being monitored and documented. 

They claimed some powerful forces were said to have influenced changing of the warrant chiefs list submitted by the Ilawo Council of chiefs to allegedly strange choice names loyal to Macgregor and ensured that those were the only ones allowed to vote in the selection process that brought up the embattled Oba-elect. 

It was however alleged that despite multi-level oppositions, some commissioners were planning to go ahead in recommending Macgregor to be given letter of appointment as the new Olu of Orile Ilawo. 

During the protest, a traditional chief in the community, Ogboye of Ilawo, Chief 'Banji Olaogun advised against imposition of candidate on the community to avert a crisis.

He stressed, “Relevant Chieftaincy laws and Customary laws were not strictly followed in whatever they did with that process. Before they select an Oba, the procedure of selection needs to be in tandem with what is required by customary laws and chiefs law of 2021 which states clearly that aside the town which must be carried along in a transparent manner the law emphasized the position of the Oluwo iledi of the clan in organizing and submitting the list of warrant chiefs where there is no declaration yet for the stool and particularly the local government representative being the observer in the selection of an Oba. 

"The local government in this case bungled the whole process with so much incompetence and clumsiness as they unilaterally manipulated the list of warrant chiefs claiming they had gone to Alake and Osile for warrant chiefs list of an independent clan , (who had the rights), jettisoning the original list of the owners of the town headed by Oluwo Iledi and entire Ilawo council of chiefs and using another entirely different one with 6 strange names out of 9 names originally submitted by the council. This is injustice of the highest order and yet the commission is supporting this."

"They totally ignored and announce the absence of major members of the Ilawo council of chiefs, particularly Oluwo of Ilawo, Balogun of Ilawo, Jaguna and Lukotun in doing the bid of their paymaster. This is totally against the position of the tradition as there is no way you will truly consult with the Ilawo council of chiefs and not involve Oluwo of the Clan/Townahip , Balogun, Jaguna, Lukotun, Aro, of the clan in question. This is Yoruba land. 

“We are capable of maintaining the rich and fair tradition of our fathers and will be grateful if the commissioner for our Chieftaincy, Ganiyu Hamzat, Local Government chairwoman, Alhaji Shuaib, and all persons who wish Orile Ilawo well will stop the plan to impose Alex Macgregor on our clan, and instead, investigate the truth of the matter, and join the Ilawo clan, particularly the council of chiefs in ensuring that this tradition of culture as embedded in our tradition from time immemorial is followed.

“We hereby urge the Governor to reverse the process and order a legal review of our demands and approve our request as contained in the kingmakers’ report submitted to his office and which we believe some people have made sure the letter does not get to his desk or see the light of the day; their letters requesting for selection of the Olu of Orile Ilawo from the people of Orile Ilawos tentative ruling houses to participate in the process.”