The Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, has stated that Akure will produce the next Governor of Ondo State.
He recently expressed his desire to see an Akure indigene become the next governor of the state.
Speaking during an exclusive interview, Oba Aladetoyinbo revealed that if the Akure-speaking communities were more united, Akure would’ve achieved that feat already.
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According to him, it does not matter if the governor comes from Akure North, Akure South or Ifedore, as long as the person is from Akure, he’ll be happy and proud.
“Everybody wants their sons to be governor or president. Look at what Baba Buhari did for Daura. The problem is that there’s no unity among Akure-speaking communities. If we had that unity, we would have had a governor long ago. But I believe the next one, by God’s grace, will be from Akure – and when I say Akure, I mean Akure North, Akure South, or Ifedore. We are one. It’s our turn,” he said.
Expressing his shock at being named Deji of Akure, the monarch stated that the entire process of kingship was a humbling experience.
“I was shocked. When I ran the second time, I was the only one the kingmakers selected, so I assumed it would be the same process the third time. But the announcement still came as a surprise to me. I didn’t expect it to be that way. The whole journey humbled me,” Oba Aladetoyinbo said.
He further noted that life as king has been challenging since his coronation, stressing that there are more than 100 cases in court at the moment.
He maintained that while some of his detractors say that he is not the prescribed authority over specific areas, he never fails to set the record straight.
Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi concluded by saying that even though he doesn’t intend to lord himself over anyone, the people must always remember that Deji will always be the head in Akure.
“For the past ten years, the challenges have been enormous. Right now, we have over 100 cases in court.
People challenge the Deji’s authority – some say I’m not the prescribed authority over certain areas. But let’s be clear: any community speaking the Akure dialect belongs to Akure.
Whether Akure North, Akure South, or Ifedore, we are one people. I’m not forcing myself on anyone; the Deji has always been the head. Just like you can’t compare yourself with the Ooni of Ife, the same applies here. But God has been faithful to me,” he added.
