New Soun: Again, Laoye family heads appeal to Makinde, want a transparent selection process
The baales (heads) of Olaoye ruling house of Soun dynasty of Ogbomoso have reiterated their call for the cancellation of the process that produced Prince Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye as Soun nominee.
This is just as they passed a vote-of-no-confidence on the Mogaji (overall head) of the family, Prince Amos Olawole Olaoye, who was appointed 16 years ago, over what they described as “betrayal of trust.”
ogbomosoinsightonline.com last week reported a petition was forwarded to the Oyo state governor Engr. Seyi Makinde, by the family signed by nine baales (family heads) of the ten subsections of the ruling house opposing the nomination of Prince Ghandi by the kingmakers.
The family heads who signed the letter included Alhaji Prince Garuba Lawal Tewogbola Olaoye (Ile Aremo), Alhaji Prince Saka Olabode Olaoye (Ile Bode), Alhaji Prince Oladiti Bello Olaoye (Ile Bayewuwon), Prince Raheem Oyerogba Olaoye (Ile Farayola) and Prince Jacob Oyewusi Olaoye (Ile Ajiteru).
Others are Prince Onaolapo Olaoye (Alatipo), Prince Usamah Abioye Olaoye (Ile Kapelaye), Hon Prince Tajudeen Olapade Olaoye (Daodu Olateju) and Prince Hamzat Oyeyemi Olaoye (Aribaba), while the Baale of Bolanta did not however append signature. The secretary of the ruling house Alhaji Prince Saka Olabode Olaoye also appended his signature.
They pointed out that the process was flawed alleging local government officials of taking active part in the process contrary to the dictates of the laws of the chieftaincy.
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The family heads have now come out again to express their displeasure and grievances with the manner the process unfolded insisting “It was hijacked to favour Prince Ghandi Olaoye.”
In addition, they pleaded with the governor Engr. Makinde to order a cancellation of the process and allow a repeat of the exercise saying this would allow the “family to choose an acceptable candidate.”
This is the outcome of a press interview Saturday morning granted ogbomosoinsightonline.com by the nine family heads excluding that of Bolanta whom they said was not around.
In the media engagement they lodged complaint that the family was misrepresented in the earlier report that they wrote a petition to the governor saying rather it was an appeal.
“It was not a petition but an appeal, we only pleaded with the governor not to allow the kangaroo selection of Prince Ghandi to stand.”
Narrating how the “flawed” process unfolded, the family heads alleged that it was dogged with fraudulence from the beginning, “from when the local government officials handed over the letter requesting the ruling house to commence the process of nomination of candidate (s). Instead of giving the letter to the secretary of the family they delivered it to the Mogaji, that is wrong but they apologized.”
The family heads further stated that the ruling house as a whole met to chart the way forward and “the whole family decided on sales of form to interested aspirants. A screening committee was also constituted with one person representing each of the ten families while the Mogaji was made an observer to make the committee 11 members but it turned out the Mogaji usurped the committee chairmanship position.”
Continuing, they submitted, “21 aspirants obtained form from the secretary but after the close of sale of form another two including Prince Ghandi now requested to buy form but he was told sale of form had closed. He now went behind and another person (Prince Hamzat Felix Olaoye) to obtain form from the Mogaji, who was not in charge of that but nonetheless went ahead to print the form without authorization and if you look at their forms they did not bear the signature of the secretary. Be informed that a blood brother of the secretary also expressed interest but he was told pointblank sales of form had closed and so, he could not buy the form.”
They informed twenty three candidates were eventually screened by the committee with the number getting pruned to 11. “That is where the problem lies because in the end the local government officials allowed the inclusion of others now making the names to be twenty five,” the family heads fumed.
It was added, “In line with the extant laws the local government officials were invited on February 23, 2022, to be apprised of our efforts so far, having written us to hasten the process, the meeting with them was held at the Ogunlola (mini) Hall. Our purpose that day was to choose from the remaining eleven but they disrupted the process even though the laws stipulated they could only be observers but they hijacked the process from the family.”
When asked what gave the indication that the process was hijacked, it was stated, “They took the microphone from the moderator, Hon. Prince Olabode Tajudeen, and now directed all interested persons whether they collected form or not, whether we had interface with them or not to come out to participate and that made the number of aspirants to shoot up to 25 even though the family was left with only eleven names as at that time. We protested but they were adamant. Yet, they are to be present as observers and not as participants.”
The family made it known that the local government officials now sent twenty five names to the kingmakers “when we should have chosen from the eleven.”
They added, “On March 22, 2022, the kingmakers called the 25 persons to the palace, they held a kangaroo interview session with the aspirants which unfolded in less than one hour. And they said they voted – four kingmakers – and the Areago now declared he had casting vote when the votes cast initially stood at 2-2, for Prince Ghandi and Col. Surajudeen Olaoye. What casting vote? It is pure lie. Moreover, it is never done that the kingmakers would interview princes, it is a taboo.”
They disclosed they didn’t sit idle after “the anomaly that they called selection of a nominee was perpetrated.”
They informed a petition was written after the family met at the Mogaji house to oppose the nomination based on the highlighted flaws. The Mogaji also opposed it and he signed (the page he put his signature is shown below).
The family heads now wondered why the “same Mogaji will go ahead to backtrack. That act is betrayal. We decided together to oppose the nomination but he went behind to support it. And so, he can’t continue as our Mogaji, in fact, we the family are passing a vote-of-no-confidence on him. He should step aside. He is no more our Mogaji.”
They subsequently made a solemn, passionate appeal to the governor: “We appeal to the governor to consider our plea. We urge His Excellency to return the matter to the family – the Olaoye ruling house – to resolve it. We will choose as our fathers did in the past.”
Asked if Ghandi shows interest again they said “he’s welcome.”
They also corrected the impression that Kape house should not aspire to the throne since the last occupier from the Olaoye family came from there “but in the spirit of fairness it should be allowed to go to another sub-family. It should be rotated. But Ghandi cannot be Oba,” they insisted.
The letter signed by the Mogaji and others opposing nomination of Prince Ghandi Olaoye by the kingmakers
