Royal families reject Tinubu’s ADC as new king of Ilemona

Royal families in Oyun local government, Kwara State, have kicked against the appointment of the aide-de-camp (ADC) to President Bola Tinubu, Lt. Col. Nurudeen Alowonle Yusuf, as the new king of Ilemona.

Yusuf is the son of the late monarch, Oba Yusuf Omokanye Oyekanmi, the Elemona of Ilemona who died in May, at the age of 95.

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There are indications that the process of announcing the president’s aide as the new king-designate is only waiting to be ratified by the state government, though there is no official statement on the matter yet.

However, the Guardian learnt that some members of the royal families are protesting the appointment of the president’s aide.

They claimed that they were excluded from the selection process while also insisting that they are also entitled to the vacant seat.

Yusuf was appointed as ADC to President Tinubu on May 1, 2023. He has had a distinguished military career, serving in sensitive roles in the Presidential Villa during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

A member of the royal families, Prince Afeez Adewale of the Shittu ruling house, in a statement made available to The Guardian on Friday, said the appointment of Yusuf is an exploitation of his family’s right to become the next King of Ilẹmọna town.

He explained that two ruling lineages exist in Ilemona town, namely the Arolu ruling house and the Ogobi family.

Several attempts to contact the President’s aide to speak on the matter were unsuccessful as phone calls put to him did not go through and messages sent to him were not replied.

“The Arolus are Omokanye, Shittu, Atoyebi, and Oyeyemi While Ogobis consisted of Ajagba Adeyemi, Ibitoye, Adeyemo, Oyebukola, Olarinoye and Adeleke before we were graded to third class by late ex governor of Kwara state, Muhammad Lawal during the late Oba Omokanye Yusuf tenure. Oba Omokanye is the biological father of the ADC Yusuf Nurudeen,” the family said.

He alleged that other members of the royal families except that of the president’s aide were not involved in the nomination process, urging the government to do thorough investigation on the matter to avoid Injustice.

He stated: “All the listed ruling families both in Arolu and Ogobi are not involved in the nomination of the candidate except that of the late Yusuf Omokanye only. The process is already compromised, and it violated the selection process. Out of four kingmakers, three seats are vacant till today. I wonder where he singlehandedly started his selection process.

“This is abuse of office by the ADC. We want to make it crystal clear that it’s not ADC Nurudeen Yusuf’s turn, his late father was the immediate past king. The Obaship should go to another ruling family.

“Above all we call on the President Bola Tinubu and Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq as a father not to involve themselves in this kind of shabby nomination.”

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