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Some Mogajis (traditional family heads) in Ibadan land, under the aegis of Authentic Mogajis on Wednesday questioned the interest of the National Leader of All Progressives Congress(APC) and a former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the governorship election of Oyo State.
The group also warned a former governor of the State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala over his recent utterances against the Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland, Sen. Rashidi Ladoja.
Alao-Akala who was one of the arrowheads of the recent coalition of major opposition political parties in the state was alleged to have said in a video while addressing his supporters that Ladoja told him he could not become a governor because he was not an Ibadan indigene.
Alao-Akala was also alleged to have said he opted out of the coalition in the interest of the unborn generations in his hometown of Ogbomoso, so that Ibadan people will stop considering themselves as the sole owner of Oyo state.
But the Authentic Mogajis in a statement issued by its spokesperson in Ibadan on Wednesday said Akala has demonstrated his hatred for the progress of Oyo state by urging the coalition to present him as a candidate, when he knew he is unfit for the position.
The statement read in part, “We believe that Ogbomoso and Ibadan are from the same mother, therefore, we don’t expect Akala to cause crisis between the two ancient cities.
“What is the interest of Tinubu in Oyo guber politics? It is open secret that he is instigating two brothers against each other and it is not acceptable to us. The candidates of PDP and APC are our sons and we don’t want external forces to create divisions among them.
“Both of them are gentlemen from Ibadan but we realised that Seyi Makinde is more of a grassroots than his younger brother. Therefore we appeal to our people especially the entire Ibadan indigenes, Ibarapa, Saki, Iseyin, Oyo and the entire people of the state to consider the closeness of Seyi Makinde to the grassroots before voting. We implore Adelabu to wait till 2023 to actualise his ambition.”
The group further said it will not allow any individual to insult the stool of Olubadan and High Chief Rashidi Ladoja for saying the truth.
The family heads noted that Ladoja is a man of integrity who has a passion for the progress of his people and the state as a whole.