The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has approved the appointment of a pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Prince Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye, as the new Soun of Ogbomoso land.
The Washington DC, United States of America-based cleric replaces the late Oba Jimoh Oyewumi Ajagungbade III, who joined his ancestors in December 2021, at the age of 95 years after he reigned for 48 years.
The selection of the new monarch was not straightforward. The Chairman, Screening Committee for the Laoye Ruling House in Ogbomoso, Abdulwahab Laoye, had on Thursday said the family had not selected anybody to fill the vacant stool of Soun of Ogbomoso, dismissing as mere insinuations, a social media report that someone had been selected.
Laoye said the ruling house had been dazed with the rumours that one Ghandi Afolabi, a Pastor at the RCCG, had been selected.
“We did not select Ghandi and he is not among the eleven that the screening committee selected from 23 applicants. We do not want the matter to degenerate to the level of litigations, we scheduled a meeting on the 23rd of February and invited the council to observe, but the council hijacked the process from us and added another seven people on the claims that the seven people equally obtained the expression of interest form, thereby raising the number of the applicants to 18.”
However, on Saturday, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Olusegun Olayiwola, issued a statement in Ibadan announcing the Soun, adding that it followed the long-drawn processes specified under the law.
Olayiwola said, “His Excellency congratulates the new Soun-elect on his ascension to the throne of his forebears.”
He said the monarch-elect was now in the position to facilitate harmony, understanding and tolerance amongst his people.
The Head of the kingmakers in Ogbomoso, High Chief Sobaloju Otolorin, at the weekend also affirmed that Olaoye was selected after due process.
Otolorin, who is also the Aare Ago of Ogbomoso told newsmen that it was not true that the Laoye Ruling House had not selected anybody to fill the vacant stool.
He said the monarch-elect was interviewed during the selection process and he promised to embrace the three religions, namely: Traditional, Christianity and Islam.
