Member of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Adegoke Adeyanju Awoso, has dismissed allegations by a faction of suspended Igbogila chiefs accusing him of interfering in the town’s ongoing obaship selection process. He described their claims as politically motivated, malicious, and a deliberate attempt to tarnish his reputation.
It would be recalled that the Akogun of Igbogila, Chief Charles Olaotan, speaking on behalf of some chiefs during a press conference on Tuesday, alleged foul play in their purported suspension, claiming they were never served with formal letters.
However, Hon. Awoso, who is also the Sobaloju of Igbogila Land, refuted the allegations, maintaining that the affected chiefs were duly suspended by the late Olu of Igbogila, Oba Ebenezer Olanloye, for gross misconduct, corruption, and actions capable of destabilizing the community.
Addressing journalists at a press conference held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Abeokuta on Thursday, the lawmaker representing Yewa North I constituency denied sponsoring or instigating recent protests over the vacant stool. He explained that the demonstrations were peaceful expressions of frustration by Igbogila youths and stakeholders over the prolonged delay in filling the traditional seat.
The briefing was attended by the first son of the late monarch, Prince Olanloye Olatunde; the Otunba of Igbogila Land, Chief Semiu Akinlolu; the Secretary of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), Igbogila Branch, Pastor Toye Ogunkunle; Princess Olusola Akinola-Adebayo; and several other community members.
Hon. Awoso also debunked insinuations that the late monarch was incapacitated at the time he replaced the chiefs, revealing that there is video evidence showing the late Oba personally presiding over the chieftaincy installations in the presence of government officials, traditional leaders, and the media.
“There is no iota of truth in what those discredited chiefs said. They are only on a face-saving mission after being exposed for their inordinate ambition and domineering attitudes,” Awoso stated.
“I am a lawmaker, not a lawbreaker. I have no interest in the town’s stool or finances. My only concern is peace, unity, and progress in Igbogila.”
He explained that the suspension of the chiefs was duly carried out by the late Oba Olanloye with the endorsement of the Yewa Traditional Council, under the leadership of the Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, and in accordance with Igbogila’s customs and traditions.
Responding to allegations concerning a ₦1 million donation from BUA Cement, Awoso clarified that the funds were transparently redirected to the Igbogila Stakeholders Forum to support the community’s electrification project.
“When I discovered they had collected ₦30 million from BUA Cement and shared it among themselves, I queried them immediately. I then donated the ₦1 million sent to me to the Igbogila Stakeholders Forum for the community’s electrification project,” he said.
Highlighting some of his constituency interventions, Awoso listed several projects, including a police patrol vehicle, a modern healthcare centre, boreholes, classrooms, toilets, solar streetlights, and health insurance schemes for residents across Igbogila and other parts of his constituency.
He reaffirmed his commitment to peace and lawful resolution of the Igbogila obaship crisis, emphasizing that he would never engage in acts capable of disrupting community harmony.
The lawmaker commended Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, and the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, for their leadership and developmental strides, pledging continued support for government efforts to promote peace and progress in Yewaland.
Also speaking, the Otunba of Igbogila Land, Chief Semiu Akinlolu, insisted that those parading themselves as legitimate council members were impostors who had been lawfully replaced by the late monarch.
In their separate remarks, Prince Olanloye Olatunde, first son of the late Oba, and Princess Olusola Akinola-Adebayo, who led the previous protest, clarified that Hon. Awoso had no involvement in the demonstration, describing it as a collective outcry by the people over the prolonged leadership vacuum.
They appealed to the Ogun State Government to expedite action and conclude the process of installing a new monarch, rather than allowing the matter to remain in court indefinitely.
