Afonja - To Be Or Not To Be - Guardian Newspaper

Date: 2000-10-22

THE old time rivalry and mutual suspicion between the ruling Fulani minority and the Yoruba majority took a new turn on Saturday October 14 when six persons believed to be members of the banned Oodua Peoples Congress were killed by policemen on their way to the ancient city.

Ilorin itself was thrown into a state of near anarchy but for armed policemen that brought assurances that the citizens will be adequately protected.

No sooner did the smoke from the fire of discord disappear that the traditional institution of the town relapsed into its too familiar pastime; arguments, name calling and malice.

The picture is getting more complex by the day. To a casual observer, the quarrel is a straight one between the Afonja descendants and the Emir-led Fulani rulership.

True, the Yoruba (or is it the Afonja descendants) look determined to install an Onilorin of Ilorin in the city but there are other complexities that are giving the Emir, Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, some cause for worry.

Four of his Baloguns (one one of them is Yoruba) who are supposed to be his councillors in their various areas have declared 'war' against him. To show their seriousness about being upgraded, some of them are actually in court seeking legal interpretation of their demands.

As if that is not enough, the Baloguns joined by two king makers (Mogaji Aare and Baba Isale) severed relationships with the emir ñ subsequently they neither greet him, pay homage or visit him at the palace as the tradition required.

One might be tempted to say the face-off was between the emir and his chiefs but for the attempt to crown a new parallel monarch for Yorubas.

The two sides at loggerheads over the proposed Onilorin stool are the emirate council and the Afonja Descendants Union (ADU).

While the Emir's people say the ADU is a bunch of jesters, the Union says the emirship represents nothing but lies. They both try hard to prove that their different positions are supported by history.

Another serious point is that while the Emir and his supporters claim he is a father of all, his detractors say he leans entirely towards the Fulanis. They even claim that he removed Kolapo, the Yoruba part of his name so that no one will be in doubt about where his heart is.

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Ifelodun     Ojo Isekuse     Mopelola Abdulmaliq-Bashir     Tosin Saraki     Haliru Yahaya     Olatunji Ayeni     Aliyu Kora-Sabi     George Innih     Haruna Olawale Sulaiman     Lanre Olosunde     Afonja     Geri-Alimi Split Diamond Interchange     REO CAKES     Aso Ofi     Alliance For Democracy     Shagari     Owu Fall     Olatinwo     Apata Ajele Secondary School     2017 Budget     Baruba     Oke-opin     Olanrewju Okanlawon Musa     Offa     Christian Association Of Nigeria     Abdulganiyu Salahudeen     Alore     Charles Ibitoye     Balogun Fulani     Ajeigbe     Afetu Of Alabe     Oye Tinuoye     Olokoba Sulyman     Jalala     HICA     Obasanjo     Saliu Ajia     Ibraheem Adeola Katibi     Olaitan Adefila     Yomi Ogunsola     Oni Adebayo     Emir Of Kano     Grillo     Ezekiel Yissa Benjamin     Agboola Babatunde     Emmanuel Bello     Adesina Simon Sodiya     Funmilayo Mohammed     Arandun     Sabitiyu Grillo     Ahmad Fatima Bisola     Government Girls’ Day Secondary School Pakata     Sardauna     New Model Police Station     Mustapha Olanipekun     Mogaji Aare     Local Government     Baaziki Sulaiman     Basit Olatunji     GGDSS Pakata     Umar Saro     Sulu Gambari     Freshvine Nigeria Limited     HYPPADEC     Kwara State Sports Commission     Ayekale     Ayegbeni     Rafiu Olasile     Jide Oyinloye     Musa Aibinu     Post-utme     Chief Imam Of Ilorin     Bukola Ajikobi     Kwara Liberation Group     Kwara State Branch Of The National Library     Sunday Popo-Ola     Kwabes    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Logun     Tafida Of Ilorin     Osuwa     Ilorin Emirate Staff Association     Alabere     Makama Of Kaiama     Abdulraufu Mustapha     Mustapha Olanipekun     Mukhtar Shagaya     Katibi Ibraheem Adeola     Christopher Odetunde     Wahab Kunle Shittu     Muhammad Yahya     Amuda Aluko     Ilorin General Hospital     Kisra     Madawaki     Ado Bayero     Musa Abdullahi     Ilorin Innovation Hub     Ekiti     Towoju     Elections     Isiaka AbdulRazaq     Chief Of Staff     Hamidat Sulyman-Yusuf     Maigidasanma     Ijakadi     Gobir     Ibrahim Issa Jetti     Mary Arinde     Ayodele Olaosebikan     General Hospital, Ilorin     Olubukola Kifayat Adedeji     Ajia-Bako     Niyi Ogundiran     ER-KANG Mining Nigeria Company Limited     Joana Nnazua Kolo     Ayo Salami     Adeleke Ogungbe     Kudirat Arinola Lawal     AbdulGafar Tosho     Iliasu     Aliyu Sabi     Ridhwanullah Al-Ilory     Kumbi Titilope     Adanla-Irese     Dan Masanin     Tosho Yaqub     Sulyman Atolagbe Alege     AbdulRazaq Abubakar Jiddah     Saidu Kawu     Kwara Liberation Group     Ahmad Belgore     Kehinde Boyede     Ramat Oganija     Belgore     Ilorin Water Reticulation     Bashiru Makama     Basic Education Certificate Examination     Kola Adesina     Al-Adaby     Hausa     Abdulfatai Salman Baakini     Cassava Growers\' Association     Idowu Aremu     Noah Yusuf     Oja-Oba     Marufat Oladosu     Haruna Tambiri Mohammed     Yahya Mohammed     Oba David Oyerinola Adedunmoye     Gabriel Fashanu     Ubandoma Of Ilorin     Abdulrauf Yusuf     Adamu Jemilat-Baki     JAAC