Amosun wades into Awujale, Alake feud

…Holds secret meeting with royal fathers

From Segun Olatunji, Abeokuta

OGUN State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, yester­day intervened in the su­premacy feud between the Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona and Alake of Abeokuta, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo.
Amosun held a three-hour closed door meeting with the royal fathers in his office yesterday.
The two first class mon­archs and their supporters had been engaged in a war of words over ranking of obas in Yorubaland.
Last month, during a vis­it by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi to the Alake’s palace in Abeokuta, he ranked Awu­jale least of the five top ranking monarchs in Yor­ubaland.
While the Awujale was accompanied to the venue of the meeting with the governor by the Dagbu­rewe of Idowa, Oba Yinusa Adekoya, the Alake had on his side his media adviser who also doubles as the Ba’aroyin of Egbaland, Al­haji Lai Labode.
But, Oba Adekoya and Labode were excluded from the closed-door meeting. Also, the Deputy Gover­nor, Mrs. Yetunde Ona­nuga who earlier entered the venue of the meeting to exchange pleasantries with the two royal fathers, was shut out of the meeting.
Similarly, commission­ers and other members of the state executive council were also not allowed to at­tend the meeting.
At the end of the meet­ing, the governor and the two monarchs evaded questions from newsmen who had kept vigil at the Governor’s Office while the closed-door meeting lasted. The two royal fa­thers al
so declined to make comments on issues dis­cussed at the secret meet­ing.
The governor later saw off the monarchs.While the Awujale drove away in a black Mercedes Benz 5550 with registration number JBD 974 AA, the Alake left the governor’s office few minutes thereafter in a cream colour Lexus 570 with number plate AAA 10 RF.
Daily Sun, however, gathered from sources at the governor’s office that during the meeting, Amo­sun gave the monarchs the opportunity to explain their positions on the vexed issue of the ranking of Yoruba Obas.
The governor was said to have impressed it on them that it had become imperative for the two first class monarchs to sheath their swords in the interest of peace in the state.