” The insanity of a rich man is not readily ascertainable”.
“When a rich man is insane, he can put on twenty gowns at a time, but people may say that he is a rich man and that is why he is putting on twenty gowns at the same time, whearas, in fact, the man is insane…” (Page 167. Adventures in power by Obafemi Awolowo).

The above statement was credited to Chief EO Okunnowo, who represented ( ijebu Central) in the Federal House of Representatives.
The remarks being part of his contribution to a debate on the declaration of a State of public emergency in the Western Region on May 29, 1962.
Chiefs Okunnowo, Ayo Rosiji, Biodun Akerele and a few other supporters of Chief SLA Akintola, on the morning of the fateful day, decided to contribute against the AG and Awolowo and gave support for the declaration of a state of public emergency in the Western Region.
For the purpose of this piece, another Yoruba proverb readily comes to my mind.
When a person begins to, consistently demonstrate preference for a condemnable action, Yorubas would say, ” ara Ile lo nmoo ni amodi, were ni ara ita npee”.
Meaning, only those who have known that person with the attitude would see it as a sickness but to the outsider, the person is suffering from insanity.
To a Yoruba, when you are fond of doing certain things consistently, they will say, ” arun e niyen”. ( Arun in English translates to sickness but in this contest, it is not the kind of sickness that requires drugs. They mean an attitude. A deficiency in character).
A lot of people have been saying that Governor Seyi Makinde is very stubborn.
Interestingly, the Governor himself also attested to this facts in his public utterances.
Recently, during a Media Chat, he repeated the fact that he could be very stubborn.
Is stubbornness a virtue? Perhaps, on a very few occasions, when one is certain about a particular outcome and insisted on it regardless of what the opinion of the public or the majority are.
Unfortunately, there is a very thin line between stubbornness and recklessness.
Most especially, when you are dealing with a situation where the powers of a high office gives you the leverage to influence or manipulate to suit your ego.
Governor Seyi Makinde’s intention to maintain a firm grip on the Traditional Institution in Oyo state is obvious.
His decision to delay actions on the selection processes of the Obas in some towns until he secured a second term in office is deliberate.
The processes to select an Alaafin of Oyo was completed by September 30th, 2022 with a nominee for the stool validly submitted to the Governor.
The Supreme Court had delivered judgment in the case of the Eleruwa of Eruwa before the 2023 general election but starting a controversy before Governor Makinde’s second term is considered dangerous so, the matter had to wait.
Immediately Governor Makinde secured a second term in office, he proposed some amendments to the Chiefs Laws of Oyo state and his intentions were made clear through the amendments.
As Governor, Makinde wants to be in total control of the Traditional Institution in Oyo state.
If you are in doubts, go and check the amendments proposed by Governor Makinde.
Sadly and unfortunately for the Governor, his amendments of the Chiefs Laws of Oyo state is of no consequence for the areas targeted.
Laws don’t work retrospectively.
Since the needles controversies in Oyo and Eruwa have been stoked by the decisions of Governor Makinde, I have listened to a lot of commentators on the controversies around the stools of the Alaafin and the Eleruwa.
In the case of Oyo town, the general topic is centred around the allegations of fraud levied against the Bashorun and the Oyomesi who have refused to dance to the Governor’s strange music and the involvement of Professor Wande Abimbola.
Many of those who chose to follow the narratives of the Governor however seems to be overlooking certain salient issues like, what does the Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy Declaration Laws say about the process of selecting an Alaafin? Who is legally bound to call the meeting of the Kingmakers and supervise the selection process? What is the criteria for choosing a candidate for the throne? Does the Chieftaincy Declaration Laws recognize the involvement of Ifa? What is the role assigned to the Governor? Can the Governor disapprove of the candidate submitted by the majority of the Kingmakers? If yes, how, within how many days?
If you could get a copy of the Laws guiding the selection of a candidate for the stool of Alaafin of Oyo and you answer the questions above with honesty, you will come to only one conclusion and that is the fact that Governor Seyi Makinde just created a crisis where there ought to be none.
The Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration Laws specifically states that only the Bashorun of Oyo ” shall” call the meeting of the Kingmakers for the purpose of selecting a new Alaafin.
When the Law says ” shall”, it is mandatory.
The question is, who called the meeting of the Kingmakers where the Alaafin who was installed by Governor Makinde was nominated? Where was the meeting held?
A careful perusal of the same Law also shows that Ifa has no roles in the process of appointing a new Alaafin.
An Oyo state High Court also ruled against the involvement of Ifa.
In other words, the whole noise about Ifa been consulted by Governor Makinde and some ” Oyomesi ” indeed goes to no issue.
You can’t build something on nothing. If the Law and the court says Ifa has no business in the process of appointing a new Alaafin, what is Governor Makinde’s business in breaking the Law by importing Ifa into the system?
The one that really saddened me the most is the part where Governor Makinde took it upon himself to accuse the Bashorun of Oyo and the Oyomesi of collecting bribes.
Not only that, Governor Makinde threatened them that he was going to prosecute them ” except they go and support the Alaafin”.
I am not particularly saddened because of Governor Makinde’s empty threats.
My concerns is about an army of analysts who have continued to take this statements seriously and as a result of that, got misguided and mislead.
In the first instance, exactly when did Governor Makinde got to know about the bribery allegations?
Was it within the twenty one days within which an Appeal might be filed against the candidate nominated by the majority of the Oyomesi or when?
Who made the allegations and were they submitted to the Governor in writing?
Did he forward the written allegations to the Oyomesi for their reaction or he just concluded inside him that the Bashorun of Oyo and the Oyomesi were guilty as charged?
Not even the Supreme Court of Nigeria would pronounce an accused person who have not been heard, guilty of an offence.
The whole thing about the collection of bribes is an afterthought conceived after over a year after a candidate has been validly submitted to the Governor.
After all, for you to kill a dog, you must find a bad name for it.
In the fullness of time, I am certain that the hypocrisy of the Governor shall be seen by all.
There is no doubt that Governor Makinde played out and acted a script in Oyo as he is doing in Eruwa and as he has done in Ogbomoso.
I believe those who have the feeling that he is sincere in Oyo would see that the Governor has exposed himself in the case of the Eleruwa.
The Supreme Court had delivered a judgement laying the matter of who and who are entitled to be selected as the Eleruwa to rest, having disqualified Samuel Adebayo Adegbola as a candidate from the Olaribikusi Ruling House.
The Court, in Its wisdom, recognized the rights of the Olaribikusi Ruling House to produce the next Eleruwa and ruled that the validly nominated candidates from the Olaribikusi Ruling House are the ones entitled to be selected for appointment as Eleruwa.
However, in his awesome majesty, Governor Makinde overruled the Supreme Court of Nigeria and ordered that the Akalako Ruling House, the Ruling House that produced the late Eleruwa must produce the candidate.
Not only that, every arrangements were made possible by the Governor to ensure that the candidate that emerged from the charade is no other person but the same Samuel Adebayo Adegbola, the one who was removed by the Supreme Court!
Is the Governor not truly stubborn as he claimed?
Only a stubborn person would have the audacity to overrule the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Perhaps, Ifa also appeared to the Governor in his dreams and told him that only Adegbola is acceptable to be the Eleruwa.
After the Supreme Court ruled in 2019, we thought, finally, Eruwa will have an Oba but alas! Governor Makinde and a few greedy individuals in Eruwa have other ideas.
The matter is now back in Court and I think the Governor is happy.
The lies they have been peddling all about is that Adegbola is the people’s choice and the town will go up in flames if he is not the one returned.
In the first instance, how is that sensible?
Governor Makinde swore to an oath to defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
That Constitution says that the decision of the Supreme Court of Nigeria shall be final. After all, there must be an end to litigations.
The lies regarding the sentiments about the pseudo popularity of Adegbola holds no water.
The business of the Governor should be about obeying the judgment of the Apex Court, ensuring that a candidate for the stool of Eleruwa is selected from the Olaribikusi Ruling House.
Or, the Governor has seen another ” lacuna” in the judgment?
On many occasions, Governor Seyi Makinde has disobeyed and showed contempt for the judgment of the Apex Court.
It happened when the Supreme Court faulted his wrongful dissolution of the Local Governments in 2019.
Till today, Governor Makinde is still grumbling about that judgment which he was forced to obey.
He was the first to condemn the judgment of the same Court which granted financial Autonomy to the Local Governments in Nigeria.
Now, he has overruled the Supreme Court in the case of the Eleruwa.
I guess this is all due to ” stubbornness”.
Is it the stubbornness to do good or to break the Law for personal aggrandizement?
For those who know the Governor very well, please remind him, ” ko si ohun to ndun, ti kii tan”.
The same Courts he is holding in contempt today, he might have to appear before them, either for necessity or by force.
When the time comes, when section 308 of the 1999 Constitution could no longer protect him, oh! How he would answer ” yes My Lord”!
SOLA ABEGUNDE.