Posted by Sayo Adeola, Ekiti on
The internal wrangling within the Ekiti State Council of Obas took its toll last week leading President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejuyigbe, to engage in a war of words over alleged breach of protocol by the former.
• Vows not to step into palace again
The internal wrangling within the Ekiti State Council of Obas took its toll last week leading President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejuyigbe, to engage in a war of words over alleged breach of protocol by the former.
Sources close to the palace told our reporter that President Obasanjo, who was on a three-day visit to Ekiti State, was angered by the crisis, stormed out of the palace of the monarch and vowed never to step into the palace again.
The President had, during the visit to Ekiti State, been scheduled to meet the state's Council of Obas at the Ewi's palace on Saturday around 5p.m. after leaving the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, where he had attended a civic reception in his honour.
On getting to the palace, three paramount rulers had stationed themselves close to the entrance of the palace hall to welcome the President, while the Ewi, his chiefs and the Chairman, Ado Local Government, Mr. Taiye Fasuba, converged on the inner chamber, few metres to the hall, waiting for the President to pay the Ewi-in-Council a courtesy call.
However, unknown to the Ewi and his chiefs, after the President was received by three paramount rulers stationed close to the palace of the Ewi, he commenced a meeting with other monarchs and their Olori at the hall. It was gathered that when the Ewi got wind of the meeting, he became furious and insisted that the President should have followed protocol of a courtesy visit before holding the meeting.
After much pressure, Oba Adejugbe and his chiefs backed down and headed for the hall. But by the time the Ewi-in-council changed his mind, the presidential parley had ended.
At the entrance of the hall, a mild drama ensued, as only the Ewi was allowed to enter the hall.
The real drama played itself out out when the Ewi, who met President Obasanjo on the way out of the hall, tried in vain to engage the fuming President on what he perceived as a deliberate ploy to bring to disrepute his exalted position.
President Obasanjo, in the full glare of other Obas and dignitaries on his entourage, lashed out at Oba Adejugbe, saying he (Ewi) should have told him not to step into his palace instead of treating him with such scorn.
'I don't know you are not happy that we are holding this meeting in your palace. We would have organised it in another place," an enraged Obasanjo told the monarch.
Apparently shocked by the response of the President, the Ewi soon recovered and requested that the President should meet with his council and Ado-Ekiti indigenes who had gathered at another hall within the palace.
Although the President followed the Ewi to the hall, he once again shocked the royal father when he refused to hold the parley with them but rather lambasted the Ewi and his chiefs, saying 'I will not hold another meeting with you because I had already met with other traditional rulers where the Ewi ought to have been but which he refused to attend. If there is anything to discuss with me, that will be for another time," the President told the chiefs and Ado indigenes at the crowded hall.
To the chiefs, the President said, 'I hope you will give the Ewi the type of advice that would not pull him down and land him in trouble." And to Oba Adejugbe, he said 'I pray you will not be pulled down by the advice of your chiefs".
At this point, the monarch then requested that if he (Obasanjo) would not meet his people, he should, at least, collect the gift he had for him.
The President then directed one of his aides to collect the gift and then stormed out of the palace but with a vow: 'Cut my legs if you ever see me in your palace again."
After the drama, the Oore of Otun, Oba James Adedapo Popoola, who is the Chairman of Ekiti State Council of Obas, then led other royal fathers to see the President off.