Akeredolu Commends Owo People With Their Choice of Oba Ajibade Ogunoye As New Olowo, Yeyesa Thanks God, Owo People For Their Support

By AbuSatar Hamed

OWO: The Ondo State governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has said that the ancient town of Owo in Owo local government area of the state did not make a mistake with the choice of Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, as the new Olowo of Owo kingdom.G

Gov. Akeredolu, who described Oba Ogunoye III as the monarch the people of Owo have always yearned for, saluted the people for making a great choice.

Akeredolu stated this on Sunday September 8, 2019 at the coronation (Iwuye) ceremony of Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, the 32nd Olowo of Owo which took place at the Olowo’s Palace in Owo.

The governor, who stated that he was at the event as an indigene of the town, described the coronation ceremony as remarkable for the people of the town.

He thanked the Omolowos and other chiefs involved in the selection process of the new monarch and the youths for standing by their choice.

His words: “Let us thank the Lord. I thank the Omolowos and all the chiefs that were involved in the selection process. I thank all the people of Owo for the peaceful exercise. I thank the youths for standing by the Oba.

“We respect the memories of our past Kings. The Olagbegi first, Olagbegi second and Olagbegi the third. Also, Agunoye first, Ogunoye second and now we have Ogunoye the third. We also respect the memory of the late Oba Ajike. Particularly, we respect the memory of Oba Victor Folagbade Olateru-Olagbegi the III.

“Our immediate past Oba has done his best. Let me acknowledge others who contested the throne with Oba Ajibade. Kabiyesi, please bring them together.”

Akeredolu disclosed that it is a deliberate policy of his administration not to intervene in chieftaincy matters of any town, stressing that the people must make their choice themselves.

“We have a policy on Chieftaincy. This government decided deliberately that we will not intervene in chieftaincy. Let the people make their choice. Today gives us sign that Owo has made the best decision ever.”

The governor alos assured the people that the developmental project ongoing across the state will not be limited to any area, adding that It will cover the whole state.

Arakunrin Akeredolu urged the new Olowo to sustain the peace in the town.

In his bid to pay homage to the new Olowo of Owo kingdom, Arakunrin Akeredolu prostrated, as a mark of his respect for tradition and culture, an act that received loud ovation from the guests and people of Owo town.

The event was also graced by traditional rulers from within and outside Ondo State, crème of the society from all walks of life, including sons and daughters of the ancient town of Owo kingdom.
Recalled, the kingmakers of Owo Kingdom, Ondo State on Friday August 23,2019 elected Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye from Ogunoye Ruling Family as the new Olowo of Owo.

The stool became vacant following the death of late Oba Victor Olateru-Olagbegi in April 2019.

Oba Gbadegesin Ogunoye, the 32nd monarch of the ancient town of Owo, scored the highest vote cast out of the 18 princes who contested for the stool. He emerged after scoring 14 votes out of 15 votes of the kingmakers, in the election held at the Olowo palace in Owo.

The 18 contestants include Ogunoye Akinola Olawamide, Ogunoye Philip Adegoke Adegbite, Olatunde Aragun Ogunoye, Ogunoye Adekolajo, Ogunoye Olanrewaju Adelotan, Ogunoye Ajibade Gbadegesin, Ogunoye Olatunde Aragun, Ogunoye Olugbemiga Peter and Ajike Olatubosun Olaueyemi.

Others are Olagbegi Mowasola, Ogunoye Michael Gboyega, Olateru-Olagbegi Adesuyi, Olateru-Olagbegi Olaleke, Ogunoye Emmanuel Ademola, Ogunoye Adegboyega Victor, Ajike Charles Adedayo, Ogunoye Monday Ogundeji and Ogunoye Olanrewaju Bernard.
In his remarks after the exercise, the monarch promised to ensure that peace reigns in the town.

Until his election, the Oba-elect was a Director of Finance and Administration of the Government House and Protocol in the Ondo State Civil Service.

In his speech after the selection, the President of the Council of Senior Omolowos (kingmakers) Oba Kofoworola Oladoyinbo, who commended the selection process, urged the contestants to join hands with the new Oba in moving Owo town forward.

His words: “I want to appeal to the new Oba to be magnanimous in victory and extend hands of fellowship to other contestants. All of you are princes of Owoland,” he appealed.

In another development Mother of the new Olowo of Owo, Yeyesa Adenike Ogunoye has expressed her gratitude to the government of Ondo State and the people of Owo kingdom for their unfliching supports towards the successful coronation ceremony of her son – Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye as the 32nd Olowo of Owo kingdom.

The excited nonagenarian who lives in her son’s marble house at Ehin-Ogbe, Owo, Ondo State, in a recent interview said, ”I am happy, and I am rolling on the ground from right to the left. I thank God and all Owo indigenes for their support. My son will not disappoint them by God’s grace.”

Yeyesa Ogunoye revealed that Oba Gbadegesin Ogunoye was born before her late husband, Oba

Adekola Ogunoye II ascended the throne.

According to her, it had been predicted that her son would one day become an Oba, ”Yes, it has been predicted that Ajibade would become King and it truly came to pass.”

She stated further that, the Olowo’s names (Gbadegesin and Ajibade) have deeper meanings. She confirmed the story that her late husband, Oba Ogunoye II had predicted that when it is the turn of his children to contest for the throne nobody will struggle with them. And thanks to God and the people of Owo, It came to pass that out of the15 Ajibade had 14 votes.

Yeyesa recalled that after the demise of her husband, she had to hurriedly leave the palace as the family was not allowed to take the inventory of what was left in the palace. On the election of her son, she said, ”there was no apprehension of any kind and we were sure he would win. I prayed for him to win and this came to pass.”

Speaking on the immediate late Olowo of Owo, Oba Victor Folagbade Olateru Olagbegi II, Mama said, ”he was a very nice man, he was good. Anytime we wanted to see him he would ask us to meet him at his father’s three storey building at St. Andrew’s Church area, and we would meet there and discuss. We all loved him.”

When asked whether she would go back to the palace, Yeyesa said, ”Yes, I will. I am happy that I am returning to the palace after 26years.”

Aged 53, Oba Ajbade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III is a direct son of the late Oba Adekola Ogunoye II. His mother is Yeyesa Adenike Ogunoye. He attended Government Primary School, Owo and Owo High School, also in Owo for his primary and secondary education respectively.

He proceeded to the then Ondo State University, Ado Ekiti(now Ekiti State University) where he bagged his first degree in Religious Studies and later a Master of Public Administration degree.

In his quest to join the league of the learned class, he went to Adekunke Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko and the Nigerian Law School, Abuja campus for his Bachelor of Law degree and his BL respectively.

Oba Ajibade Ogunoye spent 25 years in the Olowo palace with his late father, Oba Adekola Ogunoye. During this period, he went through the rigorous process of training in the art, culture, tradition and most especially, the burden surrounding the stool of Olowo.

Until his selection, he was a Secretary in the Ondo State Government House and Protocol, Governor”s Office, Akure.
He is happily married to Olori Olanike Ogunoye and blessed with promising children.

Ondo State is a state in Nigeria created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It originally included what is now Ekiti State, which was split off in 1996. Akure is the state capital.