If not that God’s faithfulness was involved, the reign of Alaiyeluwa Oba Dr. S. K Adetona, Awujale and Paramount ruler of Ijebuland,* during the second republic in Ogun State, would had become history forty years ago.
According to the Ogbagba II himself, *“when considers the threat and politically induced plot to depose me in 1981, the victory is the highest testimony of my reign.”*
During this travail, the Almighty Kingmaker himself was in action intervening to surmount the tumoil of snares plotted against my reign through the whims and caprices of the government of Chief Olabisi Onabanjo of the Second Republic...says Alaiyeluwa.
But funny enough, the shock of the travail was how Onabanjo allowed himself to be used against his own childhood peer! Chief Olabisi Onabanjo and Oba Adetona were knowingly best of friends in all facets of relatioship. The duo were prides of Ijebu heritage before the dirty politics and power intoxication crept in to ridicle the Ijebu royal heritage.
Chief Onabanjo and Awujale were so closed to the extent that Onabanjo used to stop at Igbeba first whenever he returned to Ijebu-Ode from his travels, before going to his house. They were the types Ijebu people describe as *“Awon Ore Kori Kosun*”
When Onabanjo sometimes fell ill and needed to be transfered abroad for swift medical intervention, it was Awujale who secured the flat of Afolabi Kuku for his stay in United kingdom and arranged for his hospitality.
According to the history, the bond was so strong to the extent that Awujale was said to be partly instrumental to the emergence of Onabanjo as UPN candidate prior to 1979 election.
It must be recalled that Awolowo’s choice during this 1979 pre-election time was *Chief Jonathan Odebiyi* from YEWA, who was an unwavering disciple of Awo’s mandate. Odebiyi was a strong politician beginning from the inaguration of Action group in 1951. He was Minister of Education 1957, Minister of Finance in 1959, and later the leader of opposition in 1963 Western house of Assembly. So, Awo believed he was a good market for the party.
Meanwhile, the capital of the newly created Ogun State can’t go to Egba and likewise the first governor, this insinution propelled many Ijebu political power brokers to conspire to change the paradigm, and eventually influenced the ascension of an Ijebu man, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, as UPN flag bearer with which he contested against *Chief Toye Coker, SAN,* of NPN who was also from Egba.
Chief Olabisi Onabanjo was truly a genuine lover of masses, but eventually allowed politics to destroy his good relationship with Awujale when he became governor in 1979.
Even, Onabanjo himself testified in his memoir that Awujale supported his aspiration and gave him campaign contributions on the ground of cordial relationship and not as a support to his political lineage, the Awo’s group.
Some analysts preempted the disloyalty of Awujale to Awolowo to be the relationship between Awujale and Akintola’s daughter who was a very active participant in the crisis of the western region.
Modele was a beautiful, graceful, brainy and ebullient daughter of Akintola. It was not hidden that His Majesty Awujale had a personal relationship with her, with proposal to tie knot with her. But because Awujale was more closed to Akintola, many in Awo’s camp were uncomfortable about the relationship.
Meanwhile, another school of thought about the disaffection between Awujale and Awolowo had been traced back to Western region era when Akintola was the Premier. It was recorded that Chief Okunowo, an Awujale Chief, got an award of a federal government contract for importation of pipes.
While the entire Ijebuland was excited for this great feat, news later filtered out that Awolowo had written to federal government to cancel the contract for the promotion of local manufacture, been the Minister of Finance whose one of the agencies under his superintendence was the Customs and Excise Department.
As a minister, Awolowo’s position was the preference for local productions rather than to import, and consequently the contract got canceled and Chief Okunowo got incensed.
Awolowo also imposed an additional excise duty on tyres and inner tube parts which affected the planning to open a bicycle and inner tubes factory in Ijebu-Ode, and making the Ijebu tyre business no longer competitive.
In lieu of this, there were dissatisfactions against Awo in Ijebu and people took sides, but Awujale stood in support of his Chief, Okunowo, who had been his support since his ascension since 1960 as Awujale.
Running up to 1979 election, Awujale’s support for Onabanjo was not because of Awo. But when Onabanjo grown to become powerful instrument in Awo’s cabinet, his relationship with Awujale later brewed a cat and mouse type.
Thereafter, political gimnicks set in, and the first salvo Onabanjo fired at Awujale was when it’s the time to expand the National Council of State. Under the 1979 Constitution, a person appointed by a State’s Council of Chiefs “from among themselves” was a member of the Council. Awujale expected the Ogun State Council of Chiefs to nominate one of its members. The Council was therefore surprised when the Governor unilaterally selected a relatively junior Oba to represent Ogun State.
Having considered the drama to be the script of Awolowo, Awujale picked his pen and wrote to the Governor resigning from the activities of the Council. The Governor responded that His Majesty should withdraw his letter of resignation. As His Majesty refused, clouds began to gather!
As it further unfolded, it appeared proxy war had started between the powerful dictates. It got to a point that His Excellency informed the Chief Imam of Ijebu Ode of his intention to attend Jumat prayers at Ijebu Ode Central Mosque. Awujale in retarliation reportedly foiled the governor’s plan to come to Ijebu Ode Central mosque.
It was with shock that Onabanjo read the letter asking him not to come to the mosque. Though the letter was signed by the mosque leadership, Onabanjo clearly saw the invisible signature of Awujale on the document.
At this juncture, Onabanjo needed to exercise his political power so as to advance his political career in Awo’s cacaus. In the course of this rift, Awujale travelled to London without government aporoval. Onabanjo explored this breach of law to play back on Awujale. Upon all, the Ogbagba II did not honour governor’s orders.
As a result of this, the plot got thicker and on November 23rd, 1981, barely a year in office as governor, Onabanjo got Awujale suspended from the throne. What a disastrous decision?
Let it be cleared that Awujale was only suspended and not deposed. Meanwhile, the intelligent Awujale was not perturbed by the suspension, what gave him shock was the alleged conspiracy amongst the Ijebu Ode Chiefs and Elders with the government to refill the throne with glaring interest amongst them.
In a proactive reaction, Awujale swiftly approached Court to challenge the decision of Ogun state government that suspended him from office, and asked the federal appellate court to prevent the Ogun state government from installing a new Awujale until the legal challenge of his suspension from office was finally disposed by the court. The prayers were all granted.
In the heat of this unfolding episode, the desire of the state government to resolve the issue very quickly in its favour and install a new Awujale did not materialize because the Awujale was up to the task. Meanwhile, the government of Bisi Onabanjo which had started searching for a candidate to fill the vacancy that did not exist would have gone further to install a pretender friend to the throne.
It was alleged that Otunba Tunwase, who later became the Olori Omo Oba of Ijebu, was interested in having the Awujale removed in order to have the high traditional office given to him. He was reportedly and allegedly caught in the mischieve plot with Olisa of Ijebu Ode who statutorily remains the head of kingmakers. And that was the origin of the feud between Awujale and Tunwase.
While Awujale was in court challenging his suspension, Chief Olisa had conspired to conferred Chieftaincy title on Subomi Balogun, the incident which had never happened before in the history of Olisa.
Without Awujale consent, it was said Subomi Balogun was conferred with the title *Otunba Tunwase* by Olisa. It was the alleged betrayal of the then Olisa that ensued Awujale’s hatred against Olisa throne. This reaction further prompted the Awujale’s advertorial in December, 1982.
While Awujale was contesting his suspension in court, he was also tackling the betrayals whose mision was for the judgement to favour the government. Hence, the matter was dragged on for about four years in the court of law.
As God would have it, an unexpected military coup led by General Buhari occurred on December 31, 1983. The military coup changed the whole picture of events and upset whatever plans the government of Ogun state had in its deposition efforts on the Awujale.
So, the issue became an unresolved albatross that the Ogun state military governor inherited. The case had to be settled as early as possible because Buhari/Idiagbon’s military junta’s policy was to abandon the politicians and rule the country by relating with the traditional rulers.
Eventually, Justice Kolawole presided over the case in May 1984 and the court’s final judgment was that the Awujale of Ijebuland should be reinstated to his position as the Awujale of Ijebuland who was installed in 1960.
In lieu of this victory, Gen. Diya authoritatively called on all Ijebu people to ceremoniously receive Awujale at the palace for the renewed mandate celebration. But the quick question is where would the traitors hide their faces? That was the origin of reconciliation between Awujale and his betrayals.
After a severe storm comes some atmospheric tranquility. Some amicable reconciliation between Chief Bisi Onabanjo and the Awujale was arranged by people of goodwill so that Chief Onabanjo could regain some spiritual and psychological repose in Ijebu-Ode since he was a native of the town.
The reconciliation was assigned to the ex-president, ex-General; Chief Olusegun Obasanjo by people of goodwill, the same person who was denied on Monday October 1 , 1979, by Onabanjo the receptional and joyous public parade which the people of Owu had planned to welcome Obasanjo home after transferring political power to Alhaji Shagari in Lagos.
This was a shame which defies common sense and decency. By the time Obasanjo’s plea was concluded, Chief Onabanjo had no choice other than to rise and prostrate flat to ask for the forgiveness of the Kabiyesi. And that marked the end of the plot to depose Awujale.
Kabiyesi, Oba Awujale, ki Ade pe l’ori, ki bata pe l’ese, Oba to ju Oba lo, Ogbagba a gba ote w’ole, Kaaaabiyesi, ee pe fun gbogbo Ijebu. You are a graceful royal father, divinely ordained for the progressive course of Ijebu Heritage.
*HAPPY CELEBRATION*
This story teaches never to betray your loyal friend.
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