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.

Shehu Alimi Foundation     Taofik Abdulkareem     Adesoye College     Yusuf Amuda Gobir     Sanitation Exercise     Ahmad Belgore     Kwara Consultative Forum     Waziri Yakubu Gobir     Mamman Saba Jibril     Kwara State University Of Education     Saliu Tunde Bello     Yusuf Lanre Badmus     Iliasu     Mufutau Olatinwo     All Confederation Of Principals Of Secondary Schools     Wahab Olasupo Egbewole     General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport Ilorin     Dankaka     Christian Association Of Nigeria     Rasheed Jimoh     Alfa Modibbo Belgore     Opaleke Bukola Iyabo     Olaosebikan     Abdulkadir Bolakale Sakariyah     Okoolowo     Abraysports FC     Owo Arugbo     Mahmud Babatunde Baker     Trade Lenda SME Fair     Mahe Abdulkadir     Dogara     AbdulHakeem Ajibola Akanbi     Pategi     Garuba Alikinla Shittu     Farouk Salim     Manzuma     Ezekiel Yissa Benjamin     Kwara University Of Education     Zaratu Umar     Kwara NIPR     Yakubu Shaaba     EFCC     Saudat Abdulbaqi     Mohammed Abduraheem     Garba Idris Ajia     SGBN     Sidikat Akaje     Habeeb Saidu     Government House     Samuel Olusegun Adedayo     Hamid Bobboyi     Sarkin Malamai     Folashade Omoniyi     Ilorin Likeminds Foundation     Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     Adam Abdullahi Al-Ilory     Assayomo     Offa Descendants Union     Countryside Emerging Leaders Fellowship     Yahaya Dumoye     Gbemi Saraki     Tafida Of Ilorin     Jimoh Lambe Abdulkareem     Alapansapa     Economic And Financial Crimes Commission     Monsurat Omotosho     Magaji Nda     Omupo     Garment Factory     Sheikh Ariyibi     Senior Special Assistant On Student Affairs     Charles Ibitoye     Femi Agbaje     Alimi Abdulrazaq     Chief Of Staff     Ekweremadu     Yahaya Abdulkareem Babaita    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Muhammad Toyin Sanusi     Kwara State Fish Farmers Association     Abdulkadri Ahmad Alaiye     Baba-Isale     Idris Amosa Saidu     Kayode Oyin Zubair     Lola Olabayo     Muyiwa Oladipo Kanu     April 11     Mohammed Ajia Ibrahim     KWSUED     Khairat Gwadabe     Crystal Corner Shops     Oba Sulaiman Asude     COVID     Dairo Kunle Paul     Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye     Adamu Attah     Aliyu Sabi     Ibrahim Abduquadri Abikan     James Ayeni     ER-KANG Mining Nigeria Company Limited     Abdulrahman Onikijipa     Laboratory-to-Product     Ita-Ore     Saba Jibril     Moses Afolayan     Baba Adini Of Kwara State     Aminu Ado Bayero     Iyabo Adisa Ibiyeye     Gbemisola Oguntimehin     JAMB     Ilorin Central Mosque     Sa\'adu Gambari     MalHub     CCEPE     Kazeem Oladepo     Maigida Soludero Transit     Al-Hikmah University     Olota Of Odo-Owa     University Road     IF-K     Kwara Hotel     Saheed Popoola     Fatai Adeniyi Garba     AbdulRahman Saad     Taiwo Joseph     Shonga     Saka Abimbola Isau     Mohammed Lawal Bagega     Iyabo Adewuyi     Baboko     IDPU     Awoye     Adamu Ibrahim Sabi     Aasiyat Bello Oyedepo     Wole Oke     Jeunkunu-Malete-Bani     National Information Technology Development Agency     Rueben Parejo     Kwara State Football Association     Salihu Jibril Garbi     Kwara TV     Joseph Yemi Ajayi     Ishola Balogun Fulani     Kwarareports     Muazam Nayaya     Tinubu Legacy Forum     Kola Adesina     Ajibola Ademola Julius     Toun Okewale-Sonaiya     Joseph Offorjama     Dogara     Code Of Conduct     Tunde Mukaila Mustapha     PPS     Kwara 2019