Tensions Erupt in Owo as Protesters Slam Akeredolu’s Widow Over Demolished Memorial Park

Tensions Erupt in Owo as Protesters Slam Akeredolu’s Widow Over Demolished Memorial Park

A massive protest erupted in Owo, Ondo State, on Thursday as traditionalists, youths, and market women backed the recent demolition of the memorial park built in honour of victims of the June 2, 2022, terror attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.

The cenotaph, erected under the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s administration, was torn down over the weekend. Protesters said its location was a “taboo” and violated longstanding cultural values in the town.

The demonstrators, who gathered at the palace of the Olowo of Owo, expressed outrage over recent comments by Betty-Anyanwu Akeredolu, the late governor’s widow. Mrs Akeredolu had visited her husband’s tomb in Owo on Wednesday, where she strongly condemned the demolition and accused the monarch, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye, of attempting to erase her husband’s legacies.

The former First Lady went further to refer to Oba Ogunoye as a “baby Oba,” a statement that angered many in the community.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Chief Idowu Olakunori criticized Mrs Akeredolu for what he described as a “deep show of disrespect” to the traditional institution.

“She (Mrs Akeredolu) disrespected the community. Whatever point she had, she should have been cautious. We cannot allow anybody to disrespect our Oba. She called our oba, ‘baby oba’. She has desecrated our land and cultures with such language. Whoever disrespects our king won’t go free. It is erroneously bad and barbaric to be calling our monarch such names. I don’t want to go further by referring to one’s place of birth, but in our clime here, we respect our traditional institutions and hold them in very high esteem,” he said.

Read also: Tinubu Set to Sign Four Landmark Tax Bills into Law to Reform Nigeria’s Fiscal System

Olakunori also responded to the widow’s remarks about the late governor’s legacies.

“Now, she spoke about Aketi’s legacy. Aketi was never a local person. He was a national person, and he had all legacies all over the place. Among the legacies he left behind is the Amotekun, which is protecting the entire Yoruba race. So when you are talking of some kind of a legacy, it’s a legacy that is almost without a doubt. Not the one that disrespects the culture and the traditional institutions. Our people have come out today to show their anger. Nobody, irrespective of where you came from, should be allowed to disrespect their legacy place,” he added.

The protest underscores the growing rift between supporters of the late Akeredolu and Owo traditional authorities, as debates continue over the balance between legacy and cultural preservation.