The Imole Campaign Council has condemned remarks made by Osun State All Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy Governorship candidate, Benjamin Adereti, describing them as disrespectful to traditional authority, particularly the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.
In a statement issued on by Imole Campaign Council spokesperson, Barr. Olajengbesi Pelumi on Friday, the council accused Adereti of undermining the position of the monarch over the ongoing Lagere Flyover project in Ile-Ife.
The group noted that the Ooni had publicly commended Governor Ademola Adeleke for initiating the project, describing it as a critical intervention to ease congestion and boost economic activities in the ancient city.
According to the council, the monarch highlighted the strategic importance of the flyover, particularly in addressing traffic challenges at Lagere, a key commercial hub connecting several communities in Ifeland.
Read the full statement;
“The Imole Campaign Council has taken serious exception to the reckless and disrespectful outburst of the Osun State APC Deputy Governorship candidate, Benjamin Adereti, who chose to openly contradict and undermine the revered throne of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11, over the Lagere Flyover project in Ile-Ife.
For clarity, Kabiyesi, the Ooni of Ife, custodian of Yoruba heritage and a unifying symbol of our cultural identity, publicly commended His Excellency, Governor Ademola Adeleke, for the construction of the first-ever flyover in the ancient city. The royal father rightly noted that the project is not only strategic but critical to easing congestion at Lagere, a central economic hub linking multiple communities across Ifeland, with clear implications for commerce and urban development.
It is therefore shocking, though not surprising, that Mr Adereti would so carelessly dismiss both the project and, by implication, the well-considered position of Kabiyesi, branding the initiative as misplaced and mere symbolic. This is not just political opposition taken too far, it is a blatant display of disregard for one of the most respected traditional institutions in Yorubaland.
The people of Osun State must not ignore this ignoble pattern. Only days ago, another prominent APC stalwart, Adebayo Adeleke, Banik, was seen addressing the Akire of Ikire in a manner widely condemned as condescending and unbecoming. These recurring incidents are not isolated; they reflect a troubling culture within the Osun APC, one that treats our revered traditional rulers with unacceptable disdain.
The Imole Campaign Council finds this deeply offensive and warns that any political group that cannot accord due respect to our royal fathers cannot be trusted with leadership. Our monarchs are not mere ceremonial figures, they are the sacred custodians of our history, values, and communal harmony.
We therefore urge the good people of Osun State to be wary of individuals like Mr Adereti and his associates, whose actions betray a lack of cultural sensitivity and respect for constituted traditional authority. Leadership requires humility, wisdom, and reverence for institutions that predate modern politics, qualities evidently lacking in the Osun APC.
Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration remains committed to inclusive development, guided not only by technical expertise but also by consultation with community leaders and traditional institutions.
This is why projects like the Ile-Ife flyover enjoy widespread support among stakeholders who understand their long-term benefits.
Osun deserves leadership that respects its heritage, not one that ridicules it.
