•New Olu of Ilawo Oba Alexander McGregor being presented with the Staff of Office and Certificate by the then Ogun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat on April 26, 2023.
By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
Barely three months after the Olu of Orile Ilawo, Oba Alexander Olusegun MacGregor was formally installed by the Ogun State Government as the monarch of the agrarian community, an aggrieved indigene, Lawrence Ogunsanya, has mobilised his people against the Olu.
Ogunsanya, who was one of the contestants to the Orile Ilawo stool but lost out in the race, directed some members of the community, particularly those loyal to him, neither to accept, nor recognise Oba MacGregor as their traditional ruler.
Describing himself as a true born of Orile Ilawo, Ogunsanya blamed his ancestors for the grave mistake they made with honouring of the forefathers of Oba MacGregor with a chieftaincy, lamenting that, that singular error is today haunting the community.
Ogunsanya said it was that chieftaincy title bestowed in error that the MacGregor family is standing on to lay claim to having legitimacy to the stool of Olu of Orile Ilawo.
And in a viral video obtained in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Ogunsanya allegedly disparaged Oba MacGregor, who was dully coronated last April 26, 2023 at the Elegunmefa Village, the traditional Headquaters of Orile Ilawo at a ceremony which saw the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun presenting the staff of office and other instruments of office to him.
“What I am saying is that there is no law that permits the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun to install MacGregor. MacGregor is not our king in Orile Ilawo because we are in court over this already. He has no right whatsoever to exercise any authority over this domain. If he gathers an hundred people together in this town, ensure that you attack them.” Ogunsanya said.
But reacting to Ogunsanya’s inciting actions, Oba MacGregor and some indigenes of Orile Ilawo in Odeda Local Government Area called on the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, and security agencies to quickly intervene lest Ogunsanya plunges the peaceful community into a major crisis.
Oba MacGregor particularly demanded the arrest of Ogunsanya for prosecution for allegedly disparaging the Orile Ilawo stool and also calling himself what he is not over the community’s obaship matter.
You are a liar. I am from Orile Ilawo community and this publication is a blatant lie from the pit of hell. LIAR LIAR LIAR. Get your information right. Macgregor is bribing you people to publish fake news. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
This information is not correct. Nothing like that transpired at the said meeting. Please always verify your information before publishing. You can do better.