Obele royal family raises alarm over plot to hijack throne in Ogun community
The Obele Royal Family has raised the alarm over an attempt by a ruling house to hijack the succession process for the Onikolaje throne, Idiroko with the support of influential
The Obele Royal Family has raised the alarm over an attempt by a ruling house to hijack the succession process for the Onikolaje throne, Idiroko with the support of influential persons in the Ipokia Local Government, Ogun State.
According to the Ikolaje Chieftaincy Declaration of 1956, the stool rotates among four ruling houses—Igboku, Odunfa, Obele, and Kupolu—in strict order. With the reign of Oba John Olakunle Ojo of the Odunfa family ending in May 2025, the Obele family insists it is now its turn to produce the next monarch of the town.
“No ruling house is allowed to produce a monarch in succession. The Odunfa family knows this, yet they are trying to rewrite history,” said Adeotan Shadrack, Secretary of the Obele Royal Family.
Shadrack explained that Oba Ojo, who reigned from 1979 to 2025, ascended the throne as a descendant of the Odunfa ruling house.
“This attempt to impose an illegal monarch does not align with the law of the land or the spirit of equity and justice,” Shadrack said, alleging that “the kingmakers have shown bias in the ongoing dispute.”
The Obele family claims government officials responsible for chieftaincy matters have ignored their protests and continued with a process that sidelines them.
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Letters of complaint have been sent to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Ipokia Local Government Chairman, and even the Ogun State House of Assembly, but the family says their concerns have been disregarded.
In a petition obtained by our reporter, the Obele family points to historical precedent, noting that they have previously occupied the throne, including the reign of Oba Akanni Atewogboye as the sixth Oniko.
They argue that the declaration, made under the Western Region Appointment and Recognition of Chiefs Law of 1954, clearly entitles them to nominate and present a candidate at this stage in the rotation.
“We are a civil family. We will not take the law into our hands. We trust the courts to deliver justice,” Shadrack said, vowing that the Obele family will use all legal means to resist what they describe as an attempt to impose an “illegal monarch” on Ikolaje.
