Royal fathers in Yoruba land under the auspices of Yoruba Obas Forum (YOF), have insisted on a public apology from former President Olusegun Obasanjo for allegedly denigrating traditional rulers at an event in Iseyin, Oyo State, last Friday.
At the event, the ex-President had berated the monarchs for refusing to stand up to welcome the state Governor, Seyi Makinde, saying the action of the royal fathers was a disrespect for the office of the governor whom he said was above the monarchs.
In the heat of condemnation that has trailed the comments and the subsequent fallout, the YOF comprising of royal fathers from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara and Kogi States, in a statement on Tuesday, insists that Obasanjo must apologise publicly for insulting the Oyo monarchs.
In a statement jointly issued on Tuesday in Osogbo, Osun State, by its President, Oba Samuel Adeoye, who is the Molokun of Atijere in Ondo State, and the General Secretary, Oba Abdulrasaq Abioye, the Olukotun of Ikotun-Ile in Kwara State, the royal fathers said Obasanjo’s outburst was an “affront and an intentional desecration of revered traditional stools in Yorubaland.”
“On behalf of the entire Yoruba Obas, we are using this medium to call upon the former President of Nigeria (Obasanjo) to immediately apologise to monarchs from Oke-Ogun zone for his undeserved remarks over his claim that they failed to stand up when the governor (Makinde) and himself climbed the podium at the inauguration of LAUTECH’s College of Agricultural Science and Renewable Natural Resources, Iseyin,” the statement reads.
“The Forum also noted that even if the Obas at the occasion acted in breach of The Act of Precedence of 1999, Obasanjo should have noted it in his speech rather than scolding them like pupils or military recruits.
“We think respect should be earned, not demanded. An injury to one is an injury to all. Yoruba traditional institution is not like a military setup that anyone can command at will.
“We condemn this act by Obasanjo and we call for his public apology to all the disgraced Obas and the entire Yoruba people by extension without further delay,” the Obas said.