The Council of Chiefs in Orile Ilawo, Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State has insisted that emergence of the Oba-Elect of Ilawo, Professor Alexander Olusegun MacGregor followed the due and transparent process of law.

The Council of Chiefs further affirmed that Professor MacGregor emerged in a process which was properly supervised by Odeda Local Government and the Ogun State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

The Chiefs in a statement signed by the Secretary General to the Council, Chief Diyaolu Oluwatosin, further revealed that MacGregor’s emergence had the blessing of the constituted authority of Ilawo; the Oshile of Oke-Ona Egba, Oba Dr Adedapo Tejuoso.

- Oba Adedapo Tejuoso

The Chiefs also revealed that the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, was properly consulted by the local government before the constitution of warrant chiefs which voted MacGregor as Oba-Elect.

- Alake and paramount ruler of Egbaland

The Chiefs were reacting to an open letter which was published by some bloggers allegedly released by one Chief Olabanji Olaogun, the Ogboye of Ilawo.

Debunking the content of the open letter, the Chiefs maintained that, at no time was the Council of Chiefs in Ilawo met and appointed Chief Olabanji or any other Chiefs to speak on their behalf.

They further revealed that the same Chief Olabanji was never a certificated chief by Oba Tejusoso and as such, not a member of the Council of Chiefs.

They alleged that Olabanji was just a three-year-old Chief and as such has not familiarized himself properly with processes and procedures of the tradition of Orile-Ilawo.

"What we are saying is that Olabanji was never authorised by the Council of Chiefs to make any statement, in fact, there was no meeting by the Council of Chiefs were such statements were made or Olabanji authorised to speak on behalf of the Council.

"The statement does not represent the position of Ilawo people, neither did it represent the position of the Council of Chiefs in Ilawo, but a personal opinion of some unknown characters.

"Whatever they said does not have any meaning, we have gone beyond this stage and at any rate, they have been properly educated in the process of their earlier protests to the Alake’s palace, but they are like a dog that is destined for doom, it will never hearken hunter’s wisdom call.

“More so, none of them was a certificated Chief, majority of them are not even Baales. So, we appealed to the constituted authorities in the State, especially Governor Dapo Abiodun to discontinuance the statement and ignore same as a rant of none entities.

“One of the prominent family in Ilawo, the Lanloko family, which also contested the vacant stool of Olu has given its support to the Oba-Elect after witnessing and affirmed that process to be fair and credible,” the statement said.

The Chairman of Odeda Local Government, Mrs Folasade Adeyemo, in a radio programme monitored by journalists, also confirmed that the emergence of the Oba-Elect had the involvement of all stakeholders and followed the due process of law.