Barely a month after Prince Saka Matemilola was declared Olowu-elect of Owu Kingdom in Abeokuta, Ogun State, by the kingmakers, another prince, Tajudeen Adelani and a princess, Aminat Adesina, from two royal families, have petitioned the state government, warning it against appointing Matemilola as the Olowu-elect.
The Olowu stool became vacant, following the death of Oba Adegboyega Dosumu, who joined his ancestors on December 12, 2021.
Prince Adelani and Princess Adesina said a non-indigene of the Owu kingdom could not ascend the throne of Olowu stool, alleging that Matemilola was not an indigene.
Matemilola is one of the seven princes screened by the Owu kingmakers led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on March 30.
They were nominated by the Otileta Ruling House, the next in line to produce new Olowu.
The seven candidates screened include an Archbishop of Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr. Adegbemi Adewale, with 1,027 scores at the end of the ruling house selection. He holds a doctoral degree in African Law from the University of Ibadan and from Ile Aderinoye, Prince Adelani Oladimeji from Ile Omoleefon, and a registered town planner; Dr. Saka Matemilola, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers with a doctoral degree from University of Cambridge from Ile Soke and Olatidoye Olaniyi, a retired permanent secretary in Ogun State Civil Service from Soke.
Others are Prince Adeyanju Bakinson, a registered town planner from Ile Otopo; Simeon Soyele, a veteran journalist from Ile Lumosa and Adesina Adelani, a project management consultant from Ile Soke.
Obasanjo, the Balogun of Owu, on March 30 led other kingmakers in the statutory selection process, which produced Prince Matemilola as the next Olowu of Owu Kingdom.
It was gathered that the kingmakers has forwarded their report to Governor Dapo Abiodun, who is expected to announce the next Olowu of Owu Kingdom.
But two petitioners from the royal families are asking Governor Abiodun and Obasanjo-led kingmakers to guard against appointing a “non-indigene” as the next Olowu of Owu kingdom.
One of the petitioners, Adelani, is said to be a delegate representative of Ile Omoleefon, one of the compounds that make up Otileta Ruling House, while the female petitioner, Princess Adesina, is the Secretary of Aderinoye compound in the same ruling house.
Adelani and Adesina in their separate petitions to the Ministries of Justice, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, claimed that Matemilola “is a native of Ibadan in Ibadan North East Local Government of Oyo State.”
They insisted that the candidate had alluded to his Ibadan indigeneship in an affidavit he swore to dated May 15, 2000, at the High Court Registry, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Photocopies of the affidavit attached to the separate petitions as acknowledged by both Ministries of Justice, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs were obtained by our correspondent in Abeokuta.
Adelani, in his petition, pointed out that “in the form submitted by Prince Saka Adelola Matemilola, it was discovered that he is not from Ile Soke, which he claimed (evidence attached), but the house and the kingmakers did not take cognisance of it.”
According to the petitioners, Matemilola should not be allowed to become their king.
Adesina said Matemilola is “unqualified being a non-indigene” to the throne and appealed to Governor Abiodun and the kingmakers to “stop the desecration of our customs and tradition in Owu kingdom.”
Responding to the allegation, Matemilola described the affidavit where he swore to being an indigene of Ibadan as “correct and consistent.”
He, however, declined further comment on his alleged non-indigene of the Owu kingdom.
Matemilola said: “What I am saying is that affidavit is absolutely correct and consistent and I also have birth certificate to it, which shows I was born in Ibadan. So, just check the consistency of that, check the meaning of the word ‘native’ as oppose to the word ‘indigene,’ then do your story.
“Apart from that, no other reaction from me.”