A pan-Yoruba organisation, Yoruba Council Worldwide (YCW) is set to sue former President Olusegun Obasanjo for publicly disrespecting Yoruba monarchs at a function in Iseyin, Oyo State last Friday.
In a letter of pre-action notice written to former President Obasanjo through the Palace of Olowu of Owu Kingdom in Ogun State, Oba Saka Matemilola, titled “Pre-action Notice Final Warning/Demand For Apology” and dated September 18, 2023, by Juriman Associates Chambers, urged Obasanjo to henceforth stop further parading himself as the Balogun of Owu Kingdom.
According to the organisation, Obasanjo failed in his obligation to uphold the culture and traditions of the Yoruba people and is therefore relieved of all chieftaincy titles in Yoruba land including the Balógun of Owu Kingdom.
The pre-action notice reads: “We are Public Interest Law firm committed to ensuring protection of fundamental rights, peacebuilding and sanctity of the rule of law, hence we write on behalf of the incorporated Trustees of the Yoruba Council Worldwide (Igbimo Apapo Yoruba Lagbaye) acting for themselves and on behalf of concerned Yoruba indigenous people globally, alongside all the affected Traditional Leaders (Oba Alayeluwas) present at the Iseyin, Oyo State, 15th September, 2023 event hereinafter referred as “Our Clients/Victims.
“Having waited endlessly for your compliance to the 3 days earlier call for sober apology press conference; which was a widely circulated notice via a press conference held at the NUJ Secretariat, FCT, Abuja on 16th September, 2023 – warning period that started on the actual date of committed violation on 15th and lapsed on 17th September, 2023.
“We hereby write you this final warning notice, within which we shall commence strict legal action to ensure adequate legal sanctions and remorseful apology press conference/publications in 20 National Dailies Newspapers (Any Available) and Ten (10) TV Stations: Channels, TVC, Arise, LTV, AIT, OGTV, NTA, CNN, BBC and OSBC / 10 Radio stations accordingly.”
“This warning is consequent upon your brazen refusal to apologize, continuous degradation and disparaging comments; you spat out poison like a venomous rattlesnake, talking down on the natural rulers like a teacher does to offending kindergarten pupils, while flapping your left hand like a salamander does its tail in a moment of extreme anger, wherein you then hectored the referred traditional rulers to stand, “e dide!”, in the mode of a garrison commander at an army parade. While you falsely claimed all Obas bow down before you in your room, highly ridiculous and disdainful to say the least.”
It added, “Take Notice: The life and death of Obas in Yorubaland are a testament to their assumed powers, authority and highly referred respect granted by God Almighty and not enshrined by man.
“We are aghast at your vexatious grandstanding premeditated, primordial sentiments and oversensationalized reasons to lecture the traditional rulers on giving honour to whom it is due on the 15th September, 2023 at Iseyin, Oyo State is a Total Sacrilege.”
“We see your disrespectful statements at the commissioning of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Iseyin campus, and had commanded kings from Oyo State to stand up and accord you respect (and subsequent defense in premium times and other news mediums); to the arrays of first class Royal Fathers and other leading Obas like toddlers or a village headmaster or Army General talking profusely at his foot soldiers in a most depressing, disparaging and disrespectful manner.
“Our Client: Yoruba Council Worldwide reiterates their position as the leading vanguard voice for all Yoruba indigenous people globally, our client’s owe eternal duty to preserve the aesthetic distinct Yoruba Omoluabi ethos, Royal stools and ancestral customs and traditions of the Yoruba Obaship.
“Yoruba venerated their kings, with highest level of preserved respect and honour, hence Yoruba kings is the incarnation of the concept of earthly sovereignty. They regulated peace and order, guaranteed harmonic social relations with their fellow beings and was the intercessor who interacted between them and cosmic forces.
“By this little knowledge we hope this will remind you actually erred in morality and law, precipitating our earlier client’s demand for immediate apologies within three (3) days which you deliberately and continuously ignored blatantly.
“We by this final warning notice shall immediately commence strict legal action at a court of competent jurisdiction for legal redress and compensatory damages accordingly.”
Obasanjo was earlier given three days to apologise for his actions to the entire Yoruba land for his “sacrilegious act” against the revered monarchs.