Crisis erupts in Owu Ruling House over Olowu’s election

..Ruling house meets to screen candidates today
….Laara family kick over marginalisation
….No,they are war chiefs and kingmakers says Soke family members

By Our Reporter
A crisis has erupted among the potential candidates for the Olowu’s throne in Abeokuta.
Descendants from one of the premier houses – Laara Compound – in which the Owu bands settled on arrival in Abeokuta in 1834, have complained of marginalisation as member of Otileta Ruling House, whose turn it is to present candidates for Olowu’s throne.
In a letter addressed to Balogun Owu and the defacto Regent of Owu, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, with copies to Akogun Owu and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, signed by Prince Abolaji Olatunbosun (Chairman) and Prince Arike Kehinde Olaosun (Secretary) the Laara Compound descendants recalled that the first Oba Pawu who was crowned as Olowu in 1855 originated from their Compound. They argued further that the first traditional crown won by Olowu and brought from Orile Owu was in the custody of the Laara Compound until released to Oba Adegboyega Olusanya Dosunmu in 2005 when he was installed.
“It is therefore an affront and an insult on our sensibilities for the leadership of Otileta to fraudulently and deliberately omit Laara as one of the constituent members of the Ruling House” and thus deny candidates from the Compound to contest the throne, they argued.
The letter appealed to the addressees to nib in the bud the issue which may derail the current process, incur Litigation and unduly delay Owu Kingdom from having an Olowu as needed urgently.
Meanwhile, the Otileta Ruling House is meeting today to screen over a dozen candidates who have shown interests in the Owu Obaship.
However, a member of the Soke family compound,one of the families contending for the Owu stool countered the argument of the Laara family alluding that they are a war chief family and traditional kingmaker though Otileta descendant .
He refered to the book “Owu Dynasty At The Homestead And The Diaspora “to page 82-86.
“From my own research, 22 years ago, Laara was an Otileta,but was a war chief. His elder brother Balogun Olufakun, who out of his love for Owu people and their highly revered Crown preferred to remain a defender of the Crown and his people and so rejected the decision of Owu people to install him as Oba Olowu.
Balogun Olufakun then conceded the Olowuship to his paternal brother PAWU of Otileta Ruling House, who was installed in the year 1855. ”
According to the history related to me, Laara was not only a war Chief, but also a traditional King maker called Obamaja Owu. However, they are Otileta descent.”