Where’s integrity – Eselu drags Olugbenle over Abiodun, Otegbeye’s ‘endorsements’ 

The Eselu of Iselu, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, has called out the Paramount Ruler of Yewa land, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, accusing him of confusing other royal fathers about the 2023 governorship election in Ogun State.

Eselu, in an open letter to the Paramount Ruler on Saturday, said he wanted to set the record straight and draw the attention of Oba Olugbenle “to the confusion he has been causing” on who to support for governor in 2023.

He said: “Paramount Ruler Sir, you will recall that in August 2022, you openely endorsed Governor Dapo Abiodun, the incumbent Executive Governor of Ogun State for the second term. At the event where you did the endorsement, I recall you praised the Governor to the high heaven and you did this before a mammoth crowd.

“On that fateful day, Your Majesty announced that it was not yet the turn of Yewa to produce the Governor of Ogun State; hence you insisted that any son of Yewa who may be interested in contesting in 2023 should wait till 2027.”

According to the open letter made available, Oba Akinyemi emphasised that the Paramount Ruler’s endorsement of Abiodun was the reason other monarchs in Ogun West declared open support for the governor, wondering why he is now in support of the candidacy of the Ilaro-born Biyi Otegbeye of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

“Kabiyesi, your last endorsement of the Incumbent Governor for second term gave all Yewa Monarchs and children the direction to follow during the 2023 gubernatorial election in our dear State. In fact, the Trusted Monarchs from Yewa paid a courtesy visit to Governor Dapo Abiodun recently in order to further buttress your August 14, 2022 endorsement.

“To my greatest dismay, I read in the dailies on Thursday, 5th October, 2022 that Your Majesty openly prayed for the success of the gubernatorial ambition of Barrister Biyi Otegbeye, a Yewa son who also hails from Your Majesty’s town, Ilaro, Ogun State. Kabiyesi, I must state without any fear of equivocation that Your Majesty’s latest action has thrown many of us who are Yewa Monarchs like you into a great deal of confusion.

“In one breath, Your Majesty endorsed the Incumbeent Governor Dapo Abiodun for second term and in another breath, you prayed for the success of Barrister Biyi Otegbeye. This simply means Your Majesty does not wish Governor Dapo Abiodun a success in his bid to return for the second term. Where is the integrity in this sudden change of gear which you singlehandedly harshed and executed?” Eselu queried.

“Your Majesty needs to realize that your action is putting the integrity of Yewa Council of Obas at stake and this will not portray us as a trusted and reliable division in Ogun State,” he stated.

Making clarifications, the traditional ruler emphasised that Oba Olugbenle did not carry anybody along in his decisions to give any form of support to Otegbeye.

“To enable the good sons and daughters of Yewa Division, other citizens of Ogun Sate and the general public not to be fed with any distorted information, I am using this medium to announce that the prayer offered by Kabiyesi Olugbenle for the success of Barrister Biyi Otegbeye was His Royal Majssty, Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle’s personal opinion. It does not reflect the position of all the Members of Yewa Traditional Council.

“Interestingly, no Yewa Monarch out of the fifty three (53) Members of the Yewa Traditional Council Members was at the venue where Kabiyesi Olugbenle prayed for the success of Barrister Biyi Otegbeye,” he said.

He called on the Chairman of Ogun State Council of Obas, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, the Akarigbo and Paramount Ruler of Remo land “to advise Kabiyesi Olugbenle to be cautious in dealing with issues that can put the Traditional Institution into confusion.”