August 15, (THEWILL) –Â The installation of Oluwarotimi Mulero as Oba of Ibeseland in Ogun State has been opposed by some aggrieved members of the community.
Just one week after the traditional ruler was inaugurated by Governor Dapo Abidoun, some residents of Ibese kicked against it. Some members of the Oloko family, one of the ruling houses in Ibeseland in Yewa North Area of the state protested against his emergence. According to them, Oba Mulero was illegally chosen by some kingmakers without the recommendation of the ruling house in Ibese as required by law.
The people condemned the election that led to Mulero’s emergence as the new ruler. They insisted that two pending matters were instituted against his choice when he was the Oba-elect of the community. The first suit was instituted by Prince Alexander Aliu Adegbemiro Idowu, who challenged the candidacy of Mulero as the Oba-elect.
The second case was filed by another contestant of the stool, Prince Azeez Idowu, who also challenged the coronation of Mulero. According to him, the new traditional ruler is the son of one of the female members of the ruling house which made him non-eligible to be crowned as king. He revealed that only children born to the male members of the ruling house can lay claim to the traditional title.
It was gathered that after the demise of the former traditional ruler of Ibeseland, His Royal Highness, Oba Joel Bamgbose in 2017, the Oloko family had the right to fill the vacant stool. Six candidates were presented from the family to the kingmakers, but two later stepped down, leaving Prince Alexandra Idowu, Prince Azeez Idowu, Prince Mustapha Shuaib and Prince Rotimi Mulero as contestants. However, none of the four candidates was willing to step down. So an election was conducted and Mulero was pronounced the winner.
The result of the election was sent to the Yewa North Local Government Area Secretariat and Mulero was later installed as the traditional ruler. But the Idowus, two of the contestants, were not satisfied with the result of the election and went ahead to challenge it in court.
