The Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, on Thursday, denied allegation that he was planning to turban a Seriki Hausawa for the community, describing it as baseless and handiwork of detractors.
Oba Adejugbe, who said turbanisation activities would never be entertained in the palace since it was against the tradition in Ado Ekiti kingdom, said that the palace had only planned to install one Abdul Yusuf as the Asiwaju of Hausa in Ado community billed for June.
Chief Bayo Ogunmodimu, the Odole of Ado-Ekiti and chairman of a seven-member committee of the Ewi-in-Council set up by the palace to address the misleading report, said at a press briefing in Ado-Ekiti that following the misrepresentation, the palace had postponed the installation activity.
Ogunmodimu said, “It is clear to any reasonable, thinking and proper Yoruba person, especially an Ekiti man, that Kabiyesi only installs a worthy recognised iconic man or woman in the community as a chief in the palace and will not entertain turbanisation activities.
“We have various ethnic groups who are living in Ado-Ekiti doing their businesses and finding the means of their livelihood in the city. Yusuf has his place of birth undoubtedly as Ado-Ekiti. He obtained all his educational qualifications in Ado-Ekiti and has all his belongings in Ado-Ekiti. He is not a Fulani man as being propagated by detractors,” he said.
The Ewi-in-Council also condemned the misinformation that the traditional ruler, who shunned Chief Sunday Igboho during the June 5 Yoruba Nation Rally organised by Ilana Omo Odua, was planning to turbanise a Fulani man.
It said, “The unfounded, callous and irresponsible lies against Oba Adejugbe are not only an embarrassment to the monarch, but to the entire citizenry of the Ado-Ekiti Kingdom. The Ewi did all humanly possible with his Council of Chiefs to welcome Sunday Igboho to the ancient palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti.
We had prepared a venue for his reception, but to our dismay, he never showed up. The organising committee of his movement came to the palace to tender their unreserved regret and apology for not seeing the long awaited Sunday Igboho.”
Relatedly, the Chairman, Elders Advisory Council of Ilana Omo Odua, Prince Bayo Adeniran, had earlier, at a press conference to address the insinuations that Oba Adejugbe shunned Igboho during the Yoruba Nation rally in Ado Ekiti last year, said “Such are fake, concocted and imagination of the authors targeted at smearing the image of the monarch.”
Adeniran said the traditional ruler as a frontline Yoruba monarch and leader was alive to the cause of the race, saying, “In fairness to the Ewi and the Ewi-in Council, the Ilana group was well received. This was exactly what gave us the impression that the Ewi and the Ewi-in-Council were not against Ilana Omo Odua.
“We want to put on record that Oba Adejugbe did all his best and gave us the support and the very good representation that we needed even as at that time. For anybody to come around and say anything against the personal integrity of the Ewi and the Ewi-in-Council is what we go against,” Adeniran said.
