Deposed Akure monarch’s supporters protest new Deji’s appointment

Deposed Akure monarch’s supporters protest new Deji’s appointment

Barely 24 hours after the announcement of a Deji-elect for Akureland by the kingmakers, supporters of a deposed Deji, Prince Adesina Adepoju, on Monday stormed the street of Akure, the Ondo State capital, to protest against the appointment.

The kingmakers had on Sunday selected Prince Kole Aladetoyinbo from the Osupa Ruling House as the new Deji of the town. Thirteen princes contested for the position.

The protesters, also from the Osupa Ruling House, called on the Ondo State government to ignore the selection of Aladetoyinbo and to reinstate Adepoju, who was deposed on June 10, 2010 after he beat his wife in the public. The wife, Bolanle, later died in 2012.

The protesters also demanded that the installation process of Aladetoyinbo as the new Deji should be discontinued immediately to avert crisis and instability in the town.

They walked from the Akure City Hall to the governor’s office, carrying placards with various inscriptions such as, “Mimiko: bring back our Kabiyesi”, “Kole Aladetoyinbo is apari: he can’t become Deji”, “Iroko save Akure from Fasonranti, Falae, kingmakers”, “This is injustice,” among others.

One of the protesters, who did not want her name published, said market women would not accept anybody as their king apart from the former monarch.

Another member of the ruling family, who identified himself as Prince Dapo, told our correspondent that the selection of a new Deji when the deposed one was still alive had violated the culture and tradition of Akureland.

At the governor’s office, no official of the state government addressed the demonstrators but the Divisional Police Officer in-charge of ‘A’ Division police station, Mr. Adekimi Ojo, urged them to be law-abiding and promised to deliver their message to the governor, Olusegun Mimiko.

Reacting to the development, the spokesman for the Akure kingmakers, who is also the Asamo of Akure, Chief Rotimi Olusanya, said the traditional rite for the new Deji would continue. He said nothing could stop the installation process.

The deposed monarch already has a case in court in which he is seeking an order of the state High Court to stop the nomination of a candidate to occupy the vacant stool of the Deji.

The stool became vacant in December 2013 after the demise of the late Oba Adebiyi Adesida.