A PRESS BRIEFING BY THE SECRETARY IWAYE DODO BI – OKE RULING HOUSE ON BEHALF OF ASADE, ADEKAMBI, OTENI AND OKELEYE ROYAL FAMILIES OF IWAYE DODO RULING HOUSE, IPOKIA, OGUN STATE ON THE VACANT STOOL OF ONIPOKIA OF IPOKIA KINGDOM

Gentlemen of the Press, on behalf of the entire royal families of Asade, Adekanbi, Oteni and Okeleye of Iwaye Dodo bi oke Ruling House, Ipokia, Ogun state, I welcome you to this press briefing.
It baffles our imagination that Ogun State Government through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs on the advice of the Ministry of Justice is turning Ogun State to a Banana Republic.
The same Ministry that nullified the selection process of the next Onipokia through its letter of 10th May, 2019 has now (one year after) retracted its nullification order and overruled its decision to uphold the process which it has declared ‘null, void and of no consequence’. Copies of the letter are here with us for public scrutiny.
Gentlemen of the Press, the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs in its letter of 30th March, 2020 has directed that the botched selection process proceed to the installation of Yisa Olaniyan as next Onipokia despite pending litigations over this matter in Court and the Ipokia Local Government Council has expressed its readiness for the installation ceremony.
Whereas, the obnoxious/crooked selection process has since been challenged in a Court of competent jurisdiction. Since 30th May, 2019, a case has been instituted over the stool in the High Court of competent jurisdiction in Ogun State where in His ruling on the matter, Hon. Justice Ogunfowora at the High Court Ogun State sitting at the Ilaro Division on the 19th August, 2019 declared that “the stool of Onipokia of Ipokia is vacant due to gross non-compliance with the Chiefs’ Law of Ogun State 2006 and directed the parties to maintain the status quo abinitio pending the final decision on the matter”. All the proceedings was done in the court in the presence of lawyers led by Barr. O.A Lawal from Ministry of Justice representing the Governor, Ministry of Chieftancy, Ministry of Justice and Attorney General of the state and IPOKIA Local government as defendants in matter who affirmed to the Nullification before the Judge. The above ruling remains subsisting and uncontroverted in full force. It has neither been reversed nor upturned by any appellate Court and nobody has applied to set aside or appeal the ruling in a superior court of record till date.
Despite the pending litigation of four cases over the same subject before the High Court of Ogun State and our petitions to His Excellency and the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, we were taken aback that the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs has directed Ipokia Local Government Council to go ahead with the installation/coronation process of Yisa Olaniyan as Onipokia of Ipokia kingdom.
This development has now confirmed the actions of Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle alongside his allies: Mr. Isiaka Abolurin and Chief Akeem Adigun and their cohorts who have brazenly continued to boast that they will use all means possible within Government circles and staff of the Ministry of Justice/Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs to install Yisa Olaniyan, a non-member of Iwaye Dodo-Bi-Oke Ruling House by do or die machinations.
Your Excellency Sir, it is to this end that they procured Barrister Akinside, the Director of Civil Litigation in the Ministry of Justice, to write the purpoted legal advice which the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs relied on to revert its nullification order and proceed with the selection of the outsider Yisa Olaniyan. This singular action of the Director of Civil Litigation with reference to some cases in Ogun State like Oniro of Iro and Olorile of Ifo are of different species and circumstances leading to the Onipokia kingship stool, the subject matter of which is pending litigation before Ogun State High Court. The Director of Civil Litigation therefore has no authority or ground to pre-empt or overrule the court of law or to assume and stamp this reckless action. This will amount to overruling a Court of Law and orchestrating the installation of an Oba in Ogun State without passing through a due process of selection in accordance with the Chief’s Law of Ogun State 2006.
Ipokia is an ancient kingdom in Ogun State for over four centuries and we have been living in peace and harmony while waiting for the next Onipokia, the 46th Oba, to be installed. We are peace loving people, and any attempt by the perpetrators in connivance with some government officials to foist and install Yisa Olaniyan as the next Onipokia will amount to an illegality capable of breaching public peace, anarchy, order, serious crisis, unrest and pandemonium in Ipokia land.
Any attempt by his power brokers, Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, Chief Akeem Adigun (Socopao) and other politicians who are non indigenes of Ipokia in connivance with some government officials as well as MR. KABIRU ABOLURIN The Transition Committee chairman, IPOKIA Local Government who is a cousin to Mr. Isiaka Abolurin to foist and install Yisa Olaniyan as Onipokia will not be acceptable, which has never happened in the history of Ipokia under any government. Chief Akeem Adigun’s mother is a senior sister to Yisa’s mother and that is why Chief Akeem Adigun from Agosasa is hell-bent on installing his nephew in Ipokia. We are not surprised that Mr. Isiaka Abolurin, a prominent indigene of Ipokia and non-member of Iwaye Dodo Ruling House is conniving with outsiders to destroy Ipokia kingdom, because of his failed attempts to install himself as ADELE OBA OF IPOKIA after the demise of the late ONIPOKIA to later manuover to become the ONIPOKIA elect, contrary to the legacies which his own father of blessed memory, Alhaji Surakat Abolurin jealously guided and protected until his demise. We hereby call on well meaning sons and daughters of Ipokia who have the interest of Ipokia at heart to rise up and condemn the illegal action of Isiaka Abolurin and call him to order before he destroys the ancient kingdom. Isiaka Abolurin is not a traditional/honourary chief in Ipokia. His sudden interest in Iwaye Dodo Bi oke Ruling House Obaship matter calls for concern.
We have believe in Your Excellency as a law abiding Governor that always uphold to rule of law without fear of favour. Isiaka Abolurin, Akeem Adigun Socopao, Olu of Ilaro and their allies in your administration have been misrepresenting facts and misdirecting your Excellency on the true state of things in Ipokia in a bid to have you hoodwinked and ramrodded into approving and appointing their choice candidate against the wish of the ruling house next in line of succession despite the existence of several lawsuits over the same.
We totally believe that you are not complicit in this concocted scheme to overrule and stay the proceedings of the High Court over this matter to achieve the sinister end of installing Yisa Olaniyan as the Onipokia of Ipokia without passing through any valid process of nomination. Despite our believe, it is essential for Your Excellency to restate your commitment to the rule of law and due process by publicly demonstrating this and calling your officers to order and effectively reverse their orders/decisions to revert to the status quo as at time the action over the Onipokia of Ipokia was instituted lest the voting public construe Your Excellency as a puppet willing to be used and available at the beck and call of the Kingmakers of Ipokia, the imposter Yisa Olaniyan and their cohorts.
Your Excellency, as a fair minded, God-fearing, conscientious Governor with royal origin (blood) who has faith in the supremacy of almighty God over all creations, we believe you will not allow this evil-minded people to cause any problem that will tarnish the image of this administration. We all voted for your Excellency under rain and sunshine based on trust that the citizens of Ogun State under your leadership will be treated with fairness, justice and equity in all matters before you.
We believe in your Excellency as a law abiding Governor that always uphold the rule of Law without fear of favour. We humbly urge your Excellency to shun any advances that might further undermine the course of justice and direct the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs/Ipokia Local Government Council to order and ensure justice is done in the matter.
We therefore ask your Excellency to rise to the occasion and use your legal powers to uphold the rule of law which includes (respect for laws of Nigeria, Ogun State and the judiciary) as you swore to do in your oath of office and forestall further actions by the Mr. Isiaka Abolurin, Chief Akeem Adigun and their agents over the Onipokia of Ipokia stool pending the final determination of the case over the subject matter.

Thank you and God bless.