Author: oduduwanews

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, has advised Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Igboho to always ask questions in order to be properly informed before forming his opinion on any issue

The monarch said this in a statement on Monday by his spokesman, Mr Oladele Ogunsola, while reacting to a video by Igboho that condemned the conferment of chieftaincy titles on some undeserved persons by some monarchs.

The Olubadan had on Saturday conferred chieftaincy titles on Kano State Governor, Abdulahi Ganduje and his wife, Prof. Hafsat at a ceremony attended by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Emir of Kano Ado-Bayero in Ibadan.

But Igboho in the video to felicitate the Olugbon of Orile Igbon, Oba Francis Alao, on his birthday urged the monarch to advise other traditional rulers against honouring those killing Yoruba people and destroying their property.

Although the Yoruba Nation activist did not specifically mention either the Olubadan or the titles, the spokesman for the Ibadan monarch said it was not hidden that Igboho was making allusion to the Saturday ceremony.

The statement from the palace read, “The attention of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, has been drawn to the trending video of the Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho condemning his Saturday’s conferment of chieftaincy titles on both the Governor of Kano State and his wife, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Prof. Hafsat Umar Ganduje respectively.

“In the said video shot at the palace of Olugbon of Orile-Igbon, Oba, Francis Olusola Alao, Igboho was seen advising the monarch not to join the Yoruba Obas conferring Chieftaincy titles on people that do no merit them and that Olugbon should advise his colleague Obas to desist from such.

“Although, there’s no particular mention of either the name or title of Olubadan in the said video, the fact that the Saturday occasion was being referenced was not hidden.

“As much as the Yoruba Nation activist is entitled to his opinion as well as a conviction on the Yoruba Nation project, he must concede to the fact that others too have the right to do certain things that in their wisdom are considered helpful to Yoruba cause.

“It must be placed on record that the present Olubadan is too refined to be seeking for who to honour with chieftaincy title for whatever purpose. But, when a case was made for the Kano State first couple by the Yoruba community in the ancient Kano city through their head, Alhaji Muritala Alimi Otisese and the adduced reasons were considered on their merit, Kabiyesi gave his consent.

“Even, as claimed in the video by Igboho that the Yoruba Nation project remains on course, do we close our eyes to whatever may be the interest of our kith and kin in other parts of the country?

“Here is a man (Governor Ganduje) said to have been compassionate to the Yoruba people in his domain. Presently, Dr Ganduje is undertaking an auditorium project at the Premier University, the University of Ibadan where he bagged his doctorate degree.

“As Kabiyesi noted at the installation ceremony on Saturday, the Kano State helmsman has proved himself a peace-loving person with the manner he flew down to douse tension at Sasa Market, here in Ibadan about two years ago when the crisis broke out at the market between Hausa traders and Sasa natives. We must not forget also that the Gandujes are Ibadan’s in-laws.

“It is advisable that Igboho asks questions before forming an opinion on anything that has to do with Yoruba as a nation to avoid the hasty conclusion.

“The fact that some people from the northern part of the country have taken to crimes and criminality doesn’t mean all northerners are criminals. What’s even more, if and when the Yoruba Nation project comes to be, are we saying there won’t be an interaction between the Yoruba people and others in the country again? I doubt it so much.

The incumbent governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has taken the new governor elect under the platform of APC to meet Buhari in Abuja.

This was disclosed by Gov Fayemi via his official Twitter account as read in part:

“It was a pleasure to take our brand new Governor Elect, Mr Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji to the Leader of our party and the President of Nigeria, H.E Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR at the State House, Abuja.

“Also present were the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the Chairman of the National Campaign Council on Ekiti Elections, Senator Atiku Abubakar Bagudu, the Chairman of the Election Management Committee for the elections, Governor Badaru Abubakar, the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari and former Ekiti State Governor and current Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo.

“Mr President was highly elated and expressed hope and confidence that this victory will be a precursor to our upcoming victory in Osun State next month and in the national elections in 2023.

“I thank Mr President for his irrevocable commitment to the ideals of democracy and the illuminations of egalitarianism. May our shared love for Ekiti and our selfless pursuit of the common good be blessed by God”.

Gunmen have released the two worshippers abducted last Monday at the Celestial Church of Christ, Oshofa, Wasimi, in the Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The founder of the church, Oluwatomisin Olugbebi, who disclosed this said the victims – Assistant Shepherd (assistant pastor) of the parish, Oluwaseun Ajose, and a Sunday school teacher, Dagunro Ayobami, were released on Saturday after N1m ransom was paid.

@goldmynetv had reported that gunmen invaded the church and abducted the worshippers.

The gunmen had reduced their demand from N50m to N10m last Thursday.

Speaking with newsmen, he said, “They called on Saturday morning and demanded foodstuffs (rice, beans), cigarettes and gin. They said we should pay N1m for the two of them. I pleaded with them that we didn’t even have up to that, but they said they won’t accept anything less than a million.

“When we heard this, the family of the victims sat on how to get the money and they raised a total of N221,000. Thankfully, well-wishers and other church members balanced it up.

“They did not give a specific location where we should drop the money. They asked to speak to the sister of one of the victims and told her to come to a certain location. When she got there, she called them and they told her to give the phone to the bike rider.

“They told the bike rider their location without disclosing it to her. The bike rider then took her to the location where the money and the requested foodstuffs were dropped. After like 10 minutes, they asked her to come and pick them (victims) up at the bus stop.”

The State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, who confirmed the release said, “They regained their freedom last night (Saturday) due to sustained pressure mounted by the police on the kidnappers.”

The bus conveying press crew covering Lagos State Governor’s Office on Sunday was heavily attacked by thugs between Ebute-Ero and Adeniji, Iga-Iduganran axis on Lagos Island, leaving no fewer than two journalists wounded with others sustaining various scars on their bodies.

The press crew bus which was in the convoy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was attacked by the thugs who threw heavy stones repeatedly as it joined other vehicles conveying dignitaries, including Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje; and others, who had just left the palace of Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu.

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Tinubu, who arrived at Lagos Airport at around 3:40 pm, to the waiting hands of an enthusiastic crowd of party loyalists and supporters, had immediately headed to the palace of Oba Akiolu on a courtesy call.

The press crew bus was heavily attacked by the hoodlums, as it drove with high speed to escape while journalists had to lie low in it for many to escape being injured, but still few others still had bruises.

However, a Western Post correspondent, Adeola Ogunrinde and Omatseye Atsenuwa of Smooth 98.1FM got wounded, while Adedoja Salam of TVC went into shock due to the heavy bombardment of stones and bricks thrown at the press crew bus, leaving the windscreen and nearly all the side screens were broken.

Ogunrinde got wounded in the face, while Atsenuwa had his arm hit directly by one of the heavy stones thrown at the press crew bus.