In a bid to ensure timely resolution, the Olule Ruling House in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State has streamlined the number of princes aspiring to the throne of the next Olute of Ute.
According to the family, the decision was taken to avoid unnecessary disputes and to foster unity among members of the ruling house as the succession process progresses.
The stool became vacant following the demise of the first-class monarch of the town, Oba Adetunji Oluwole Akinrogbe 1, who died after 30 years on the throne.
Those who emerged as flag bearers of their respective royal houses included: Prince Adeusi John Idowu Ajakaye, Prince Olubumi Agbanoja, Prince Abdul Abi Bola Omoloja, and Prince Osebayowa Ben Oju.
The four consensus candidates who spoke with newsmen after they were presented by the head of their respective families said they would cooperate with any of them that emerged as the Olute-Elect
Addressing newsmen about the outcome of the exercise, Osebayowa said the screening exercise was meant to reduce the number of princes jostling for the throne of Olute and not to select a monarch for the town.
Osebayowa said, “We are from Ute, and we belong to the only Ruling House in the Ute community. We are all aware that our monarch is late, and many of us are vying for the throne. When this process began, we had about 11 or 12 aspirants contesting for a single throne. We have been holding a series of meetings. At our strategic meeting in the presence of all the aspirants, the entire family, the secretary, and aspirants from abroad, including those from Portugal and the USA, and even my own brothers who were present, we deliberated.
“We agreed that it would be naive for four families to present multiple candidates for the position of Oba. Instead of having many candidates, we said it was unwise. It is not good enough. It does not show that we are educated or exposed as a family.
“So, we proposed a way forward: talked among ourselves, and produced consensus candidates or nominees. In some families with three aspirants, we urged them to reduce the number and present only one. Where there were four aspirants in a family, we advised the same.
“We all agreed, and that was the resolution of our meeting held on the 20th of July. We initially had a meeting on July 6, where we made the decision to streamline the number of candidates. I anchored the meeting. I suggested that we give ourselves two weeks to carry out this important assignment, and everyone agreed. The meeting ended in a cordial atmosphere, with no disagreement or rancor. We were happy that we were on the right path, and we even believed the local government would commend us for such a thoughtful initiative.
“At the expiration of the two-week grace, we reconvened at the same venue. In the presence of all the aspirants and the entire family, we asked each of the four families to present their candidate. And indeed, they did.”
Osebayowa rejected the claim that they had selected a monarch for the community saying what they did was screening at the family level to streamline the number of candidates. He said there is no provision for the position of Deputy Head of the families. He said anybody parading himself as Deputy Head should be arrested and prosecuted.
His words “We know that for a first-class throne, candidates cannot be selected without the appropriate machinery of government. What is the essence of our exposure, education, and past service in government if we ignore due process? We cannot, on our own, select an Oba for a first-class stool. That is not possible.
“What we did was to reduce the number of aspirants from each family so that only one candidate emerged from each of the four ruling families, thereby presenting four candidates in total.
“We have many branches, but only four branches showed interest in the vacant stool. So now you have four people representing four different families, and we are not saying we have selected a monarch. What we have done is simply family-level screening. The four of us are now to face the appropriate government machinery—either the kingmakers or the prescribed authority for the final selection. And any of us who later emerge as king will be supported to unite the family and ensure peace reigns in the community.”
Also, one of the candidates, Prince Omoloja, said the late monarch spent 29 troublesome years on the throne, and even at death, his corpse was held to ransom by those who did not want him buried in the palace because of court proceedings that removed him as monarch.
Omoloja blamed two princes in the town, Yaya Omoloja and Sheu Omoloja for spreading falsehood and causing a crisis over the vacant stool of Olute. He asked the government to caution them to prevent the breakdown of law and order in the community. The Secretary of the family and other notable members were in attendance.
