Seun Shotunde, Abeokuta
The ancestral landowners from five communities in Ifoland, Ogun State, are seeking an injunction from court to restrain the state government from proceeding with the selection process of the next Olu of Ifo pending the outcome of their case.
The five communities are Orile-Ifo, Akinhanmi, Olose, Oke-nla and Adenrele.
Recall that the immediate past Olu of Ifo, Oba Samuel Atanda Oladipupo died on October 8, 2025 after a brief illness and the throne has become vacant since then.
But speaking in an interview yesterday with Daily Newshub, the Baale of Orile-Ifo, Chief Dauda Odeyemi, said that the communities went to court to seek an order to stop the government from going on with the selection process on the choice of the new Olu of Ifo.
He argued that the communities are not against efforts of the state government and the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo on the choice of new Olu of Ifo, but insisted they would not support any candidate who is not from the indigenous communities to fill the vacant stool.
Odeyemi lamented that in previous times, non-indigene whose forefathers came to work or trade in the land had become the Olu of Ifo two times but the indigenous people are now wise and would not allow such to rear its ugly head again, hence their reason for hearing to court.
He expressed worries that despite several letters written to the office of the Governor, Dapo Abiodun and Alake since last year, they had yet to receive response even when they sent reminders to those offices, stressing that since they could not wait any longer they had to go to court.
Odeyemi however said that the case had been adjourned to March 13, 2025.
He said, “We cannot close our eyes and allow a non-indigene or any stranger to become the next Olu of Ifo land. Five towns consistute Ifoland. But strangers will come to Ifo and buy land and after we sell land to them, they turn themselves to rule over us. We have had two cases of strangers becoming king in our land and that we don’t want again.
“This is the reason the five towns petition the governor and Alake last year and there was no response. They also sent a reminder that if the governor and Alake did not respond to their request they will head to court to seek redress.
“We are not here to quarrel with the governor or Alake – we know that among the four Egba communities, that it is the turn of Egba- Ake and all we are saying is we don’t want a stranger or non-indigene. But we want representative of Egba- section in any of the five communities in Ifoland, which is Orile-Ifo, Akinhanmi, Oke-Nla, Olose, Adenrele to be the next Olu of Ifo.”
