Ekiti Monarch Abandons Palace, Begs Buhari to Save Him from Fayose

Ayodele Afolabi, Ado-Ekiti

BALTIMORE, MD (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Olukere, Oba Ganiyu Obasoyin, has begged President Muhammadu Buhari to save him from Fayose, who he accused of being after him.

The monarch said, “my life now is at stake. If someone could personally supervise the tearing of my billboard, what would he do if he sees me face-to-face?”

Tension mounted on Wednesday night in Ikere Ekiti, as Olukere’s billboard was destroyed by people suspected to be governor Fayose’s agents.

However, a section of the town trooped out to the streets to protest against the destruction of the monarch who had been in a running battle with his rival and Ogoga, Oba Adejimi Adu, accusing Governor Ayodele Fayose of personally tearing Obasoyin’s billboard carrying his portrait erected in the heart of the town.

The protesters, who gathered at the popular Odo Oja junction at about 6pm on Wednesday, when Fayose was returning to Ekiti from Akure, the capital of Ondo State, after visiting Akwa Ibom, chanted anti-government songs to deride the governor and condemned his action.

The procession moved to Oke Ikere, where the protesters blocked Ado-Akure highway, which caused serious traffic gridlock along that line, with commuters taking alternative routes to escape being held up.

The protesters, comprising mainly of youths and aged people, who made bonfires on the road, also continued with the protest as early as 6am on Thursday, warning Fayose and Ogoga to refrain from plunging the town into crisis.

However, anti-riot policemen have been deployed to prevent the unrest from escalating into a crisis of monumental proportion.

Oba Obasoyin, who spoke with journalists in Ado Ekiti, expressed shock at how the governor had allegedly carried his personal animosity against him to such a ridiculous extent.

Oba Obasoyin added: “it is rather surprising that with the hectic jobs the office of a governor requires that he could still go to the streets and destroy Oba’s billboard.

“Fayose and Ogoga have forgotten so soon that the land Ogoga is occupying in Ikere and the authority he is using were given to him by my palace, including his crown.

“Ogoga in history was never a crowned prince anywhere, including Benin where he claimed to have come from. I made him who he is and he should not push my people to go into war. They should let Ikere be.

“They wanted to ignite crisis and burn down my town, but I am pleading that they should desist because I am the owner of the land and I won’t allow it to burn.

“I am a descendant of Oduduwa and one of the founders of Ekiti land, so we are going to resist attempt by Ogoga, who is a stranger in my land to conspire with Fayose to obliterate my stool”, he stated.