News
End Delay In Awujale Succession, Clerics Pleads With Gov’ Abiodun
Religious leaders in Ijebuland have appealed to Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, to lift the embargo on the selection of a successor to the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, saying the prolonged delay in filling the stool has become a source of concern to the people.
The call was made on Sunday by the Lord Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Ijebu, Rt. Rev. Dr. Peter Rotimi Oludipe; the Chief Imam of Ijebuland, Sheikh Muftaudeen Ayanbadejo; and the head of Osugbo in Ijebu-Ode, Chief Bolanle Bakare, at a community empowerment programme.
Oludipe, who spoke with journalists at the event, urged Abiodun to allow the process to continue to its conclusion, describing the kingmakers as people of integrity who should be permitted to perform their traditional duties.
“All of us are aware that the delay is caused by the state government. It’s the governor that has put a kind of a stop to the arrangement of those who are supposed to be in charge of selecting the Awujale.
“So we are looking forward to the governor lifting that ban very soon, so that the process can come to a conclusion that will be acceptable to all,” the bishop said.
The bishop said the absence of an Awujale was undesirable for the community.
“Our own appeal to the governor is that this ban should be lifted at the earliest possible time, and let’s allow the process to run to conclusion, by the grace of God,” he added.
Oludipe noted that religious leaders were also concerned about the delay because they were part of the community and were constantly confronted with questions about the vacant traditional stool.
He said, “We don’t want any delay. There should not really be a vacuum, particularly when you think of Ijebuland.
“Ijebu is so popular among several communities within the country, Nigeria. So many people are interested. So many people are asking us, ‘What is happening? Why is the Awujale not being installed?’”
The bishop, however, acknowledged that the government might have reasons for placing an embargo on the selection process, but urged it to allow the process to reach a conclusion in the interest of Ijebuland.
According to him, the people of Ijebuland deserved to have a monarch installed through a process that was allowed to run its course.
Also speaking, the Chief Imam of Ijebuland, Sheikh Ayanbadejo, said he remained hopeful that the next Awujale would eventually emerge, describing the matter as one that would be resolved at the appropriate time.
He recalled that he had previously appealed to Muslim clerics to join him in urging the governor to facilitate the installation of the monarch.
According to him, while the emergence of the next Awujale was ultimately in the hands of Allah, that should not be an excuse for failing to take concrete steps to resolve the matter.
“Time belongs to Allah. When the time comes, it will happen. But that does not mean that something concrete should not be done on time. We all believe that one day, one day, that prayer will come to pass. It will come to fruition,” Ayanbadejo said.
The Chief Imam urged the governor to listen to the wishes of the people and trust the kingmakers, whom he described as men of integrity with the pedigree to handle the selection process.
He said, “My advice to the government is that they should follow the voice of our people. Because by the opinion of the people, they are behind the kingmakers. These are men of integrity. All of them—Awujale chose them because they are kingmakers and persons with pedigree. Whatever they say in Ijebuland, nobody can go against them.”
Ayanbadejo urged Abiodun to ensure that the new monarch emerged during his tenure, saying the governor still had the opportunity to complete the process.
“We are still imploring our governor. The time is still there. We want our governor to be the governor that will sign the certificate. We want the governor to be the governor that will present the staff of office. This is his chance,” he said.
The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has set a target of nearly three million votes for President Bola Tinubu and the party’s 2027 governorship candidate, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, vowing that it would not allow a repeat of its defeat in the state during the 2023 presidential election.
The Director-General of the PBAT-KOH Campaign Council, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, disclosed this on Sunday at a press conference in Ikeja, Lagos, where he also announced plans for the unveiling of Hamzat’s governorship manifesto ahead of the 2027 election.
According to Obanikoro, the party had learnt important lessons from the 2023 election, when the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, defeated Tinubu in Lagos, securing 582,454 votes against the APC candidate’s 572,606 votes.
Describing the outcome as a wake-up call, the former Minister said the APC had since taken steps to strengthen its membership base and improve its mobilisation ahead of the next general election.
“That time (2023), I want to tell you, was a wake-up call for us, and we have woken up,” Obanikoro said.
“You know what it means to wake up a hungry tiger? It’s bad news. That’s exactly what the opposition has done. They have woken up a hungry tiger, and it is going to roar.”
He said the APC had registered about one million members in Lagos, adding that the party expected a substantial proportion of them to turn out and vote during the election.
“For the first time in the history of our party, we registered about one million. Already, we have provided a solution by beefing up our membership,” he said.
Explaining how the party arrived at its projected votes, Obanikoro said: “So, in a worst-case scenario, let’s say 70 or 80 per cent of our members come out, which they will do. That is already 800,000 votes.
“Let’s assume they will bring a minimum of one voter. That is 1.6 million votes. No matter how much some of these opposition members hate us, there are APC lovers in this state of ours who, come rain or shine, will come out and vote for us. Modestly, we are looking at almost three million votes.”
Obanikoro said the campaign council would intensify grassroots mobilisation across the state to achieve the target.
“We will go throughout the length and breadth of Lagos State, all the nooks and crannies of Lagos. We will go there and canvass for votes,” he said.
“We are going to win and record an unprecedented number of votes for both Asiwaju and Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat.”
Meanwhile,the campaign council has also announced that the APC would unveil Hamzat’s manifesto on Friday, October 30, 2026, at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly the National Arts Theatre, in Iganmu, Lagos.
He said the manifesto would outline the governorship candidate’s vision, priorities and plans for the continued development of Lagos State.
The Ogun State Police Command has arraigned seven men before the Ilaro Magistrate Court over alleged unlawful possession of firearms, abduction of Amotekun operatives and stealing of a locally made single barrel gun valued at N150,000.
The defendants are Dosunmu Amos, 34, Abisekun Seun, 22, Ojo Olanrewaju, 32, Joseph Aremu, 33, Alao Ileyemi, 30, Akeem Ege, 45, and Elijah Eriwole, 32.
They were arraigned before Chief Magistrate I, Ilaro, presided over by Mrs F.A. Ojelade on Friday, on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful possession of firearms, abduction, stealing and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.
According to the charge sheet with No M/27/2026 signed by ASP Adeboye Olayiwola, the defendants and others still at large, between October 14 and 15, 2026, at Alagbon area, Owode-Afon, in the Ilaro Magisterial District, allegedly conspired to commit felony to wit: unlawful possession of firearms.
Count two stated that on October 14, at about 4 pm, they unlawfully had in their possession one locally made single barrel gun without licence, contrary to the Firearms Act.
Counts three and four, respectively, border on conspiracy and abduction at the Ogun State Security Network Agency, Amotekun, Owode-Afon Outpost, on October 15, at about 5:30 pm.
The prosecutor alleged that the defendants abducted two Amotekun operatives, AMT Salami Yakubu, 31, and AMT Abelewa Soliudeen, 37, and prevented any person entitled to have access to them from discovering where they were imprisoned.
Count five alleged that they stole one locally made single barrel gun valued at one hundred and fifty thousand naira, property of the Amotekun Corps.
Count six stated that they conducted themselves in an unruly manner by invading the Amotekun outpost and shooting sporadically into the air, causing fear in the neighbourhood.
Prosecution counsel, ASP A.S. Abiodun moved a motion pursuant to Section 306 of ACJ Law of Ogun State 2017, praying the court to remand the defendants.
In her ruling, Ojelade held that even though offences in counts 1, 2, 5 and 6 are within its jurisdiction, it is not seized of the power to try offences in counts 3 and 4, and in the interest of justice, ordered that the defendants be remanded for a period of 60 days in the first instance.
The case was adjourned till January 15, 2027.
One person has been killed, and three others injured after gunmen allegedly attacked the convoy of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) House of Assembly candidate for Ezza South Constituency, Ebonyi State.
The police spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu, said the incident occurred at Amaezekwe community, Ezza South Local Government Area.
Ukandu said the command received a distress call reporting a disturbance in the community and immediately deployed operatives to the scene.
“Upon arrival, the operatives found four individuals with gunshot wounds and a burnt vehicle,” he said on Friday. “One of the victims was confirmed dead at the hospital, while the three others are receiving medical treatment.”
Meanwhile, the NDC candidate, Rollins Ovu-Unata Offia-Nwali, said suspected political thugs attacked his motorcade and set his Toyota Hilux vehicle ablaze.
In a statement, Offia-Nwali said he and members of his entourage escaped unhurt.
He expressed sympathy with those affected by the attack and urged youths across the state not to allow politicians to use them to pursue personal ambitions.
“No political ambition is worth the life of any young person,” he said.
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