An ally of the Oluwo of Iwo, Sheikh Dawud Imran, has threatened to mobilise supporters to shut down Osogbo, the Osun State capital, if the state government issues another warning to the monarch, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi.
Imran, the Grand Mufti of Yorubaland and leader of the Tawu’un Movement, said his supporters would make the state ungovernable until a state of emergency was declared if the government continued to caution the traditional ruler.
The cleric made the threat during a sermon at a Friday Jumu’ah service, a video of which was shared on a Facebook page identified as Grand Mufti Of Yorubaland.
The Public Relations Officer of the Tawu’un Movement, Lookman Adeboje, confirmed the development when contacted on Sunday via WhatsApp, stating that the video showed Imran’s sermon delivered during the previous Friday’s service.
Speaking in Yoruba, the cleric acknowledged that the government had the constitutional authority to remove a traditional ruler but argued that citizens equally had the power to vote out a government.
He maintained that the government could continue monitoring the Oluwo, insisting that the monarch would not abandon his opposition to idolatry.
Imran said, “The person who wrote the (caution) letter said the government will be monitoring what Oluwo is saying going forward. The government can continue to monitor him, but Oluwo will not stop talking about idolatry.
“If you dare write another letter, we will come out in full and ensure that no vehicle moves in Osogbo. We will occupy Osogbo till a state of emergency is declared, even if it takes us a year.
“All the Muslims will be out. That is our own right, to say we are not going to be involved in idolatry and to talk against it. The Osun State Government, led by the governor, is not bigger than Osun indigenes. You are our slave and you are serving us.
“Both the federal and state governments are not bigger than their citizens. It is true that the governor has the power to remove Oluwo, the same way we also have the power to remove him. We can vote that we no longer want the governor to continue.
“The government can remove Oluwo since it appointed him. Oluwo did not deny that. But he claimed that he was appointed by God. Those serving in the present administration were not there when Oluwo was appointed. The government has the power to remove him if God wants it, but God will not allow that and we will also not allow that.”
The religious leader further threatened legal action should the government move to depose the monarch, saying his supporters would pursue the case through the judicial system until the administration’s tenure ended.
He said, “The least you can do is to remove him and we will go to court for a stay of execution, and the case will not be determined till you finish your tenure.
“After the High Court, we will go to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. After then, we will vote for a governor who will withdraw the matter.”
The threat comes amid the ongoing disagreement between the Oluwo and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, which has drawn the attention of the Osun State Government.
The government had earlier cautioned Oba Akanbi over alleged inflammatory remarks against traditional worshippers, particularly the Ooni, expressing concern that his comments could trigger communal clashes between people of Iwo and Ile-Ife.
In a warning letter with reference number CD.17/1/VOL.VIII/377, the state government accused the monarch of making statements and engaging in activities capable of escalating communal and religious tensions.
The letter stated, “Your activities are raising communal tension, sowing seeds of communal and religious discord and increasingly discrediting the traditional values of your people and Yoruba society, of which your domain is a major part. These developments constitute serious threats to the peace, unity and stability of Osun State and your immediate domain.”
The government consequently directed the Oluwo to desist from attacking adherents of other religions and fellow traditional rulers, while urging him to uphold the cultural heritage and traditions associated with his throne.
