THE Otileta Ruling House of the Owu Kingdom, Abeokuta, has nominated seven princes, including an Archbishop of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Ogun State, Dr Adegbemi Adewale, for the vacant Olowu of Owu Abeokuta stool.
The ruling house is the next to produce the next Olowu following the demise of Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu, who joined his ancestors on December 12, 2021.
The names of the nominees were submitted by the ruling house to the Abeokuta North Local Government Council after it was asked to produce the next Olowu of Owu.
The nomination of the candidates, which was done on Wednesday, was sequel to the screening of 12 princes forwarded by five compounds that make up the Otileta Ruling House.
Apart from Adewale, a PhD holder from Ile Aderinoye, the other candidates include Adelani Oladimeji from Ile Omo’le Efon; Matemilola Adelola from Ile Soke and Olatidoye Olaniyi from Soke.
The others are Adeyanju Bakinson from Ile Otopo; Simeon Soyele from Ile Lumosa; and Adesina Adelani from Ile Soke.
The screening and interview sessions for the candidates were done by delegates of the ruling house and it was gathered that scores were awarded based on the performance of each prince.
According to the results sheet obtained, Adewale came first with 1,027 points; Oladimeji scored 909 points; Adelola, 886 points; while Olaniyi scored 863 points.
Bakinson scored 862 points; Soyele, 827 points; and Adelani, 801 points.
Prior to the screening and interview by the ruling house, the Abeokuta North Local Government Council had in a public notice titled, ‘Filing of vacant stool of Olowu of Owu, Abeokuta’, signed by the Secretary to the Local Government, Odusiji Ayinla, directed the Otileta Ruling House to convene a meeting within 14 days from the date of the notice between March 2 and March 15, 2022, to select the candidates.
The notice was pasted in strategic and conspicuous places in compounds that make up the ruling house.
The notice read in part, “The appointment process of filing the vacant stool has commenced in line with the directive of the state Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, in its letter with reference number CHM1/4T2/241 dated February 21, 2022, and the provisions of the Chiefs Law of Ogun State, 2021, and it is the turn of the Otileta Ruling House to produce the candidate or candidates to fill the vacant stool. (Punch)
