ARISEKOLA ALAO’s DEATH LEADS TO BIG VACCUM!

Who Is The Next Aare Musulumi Of Yourbaland?

•Who Becomes Aare Of Ibadanland?

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In South-West Nigeria, the titles of Aare Musulumi  of Yorubaland, Aare Ona kakanfo and Aare of Ibadanland are 3 prestigious titles that command respect and give prominence to the holders of those titles. Holders of these titles from time immemorial have a record of Class, Finesse, and Royal gait in them. They command respect in the society and they have all it takes to carry on with the grace and candour attatched to the office of the Aare anywhere. Money, Fame, Ability to lead and connection in the right places are some of the factors that comes handy in the selection process for any of the Aare title. It is on record that late Bashorun M.K.O Abiola was the last holder of the title of Aare ona kakanfo of Yorubaland and since he passed on over 16 years ago, the position is still vacant till date.

Until Alhaji Abdul Azeez Arisekola-Alao’s death, he was both the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, the most prominent religious title in the Islamic circles in the south-west of Nigeria and also the Aare of Ibadanland, another equally distinguished traditional title which incidentally, Aare Arisekola-Alao gave prominence to when he was bestowed with that title 2008 by late Oba Ogundipe, the then olubadan of Ibadan.

Right now, with the vacancies brought about by the death of the occupants of these positions, a succession battle is about to begin. These positions must be filled as according to the law of power, there must not be a vaccum for the sake of continuity.

These positions are powerful and at the same time delicate. Show of means and power must come to play. It is neither for the meek nor for the faint hearted.

You must be a man to occupy any of these positions. Ability to lead and to command followership is a critical factor. Your pocket must be loaded and you must be of honest act and means. Your character and disposition to life must be that of live and let’s live. No matter who you are, you must operate an open door policy and you automatically become father to the fatherless and mother to the motherless. Right from the days of late premier of the western region Sir Ladoke Akintola as Aare ona kakanfo down to M.K.O Abiola, the records still detailed and factual to see. They were close to the masses. The downtrodden were their friends, their main constituency was amongst the seemingly unknown. They bridged the gap between the rich and the poor. They gave meaning to the existence of these set of people. Same for Arisekola-Alao, his main stay were the people around him, he couldn’t stand the thought of not having people around him and his was more than service to humanity, he practically lived his life for them. As Aare musulumi, his fame and wealth worked for him. His home became a mecca to all, politically, he was a factor both at all levels. Nobody becomes anything without his input. Even at the national level, the powers that seek for his attention and his financial support is second to none.

At the moment there is a vaccum and it must be filled. The criteria’s to be met are un-daunting and challenging . Who is ready to bell the cat? The men have to be separated from the boys. But who are these men that are man enough and who are fit into these criterial to take up the gauntlet when the clock ticks. Taking a trip round the South-West of Nigeria to see who the cap fits though.

AARE MUSULUMI OF YORUBALAND

Typical of the Nigerian style, the death of any influential figure must definitely be trailed with series of stories and insinuations most of which never came up during the lifetime of such people. The death of Alhaji Arisekola Alao is not left out as it is getting its own fair share of such controversial happenstances one of which revolves round the religious title of Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland which feelers have begun to trickle in that it is a title that stuck to the late business mogul after it was pronounced on him in 1980 by the late National Chairman of the defunct National Party of Nigeria Chief Augustus Meredith Adisa Akinloye at a gathering after Arisekola Alao fell out with the then incumbent Bola Ige government and teamed up with the late Busari Adelakun (eru o’bodo) to defeat Ige’s after his unfamous statement that the Ibadan’s does not have an educated son to present as governorship candidate to face him in the then 1983 elections, a pronouncement sources claimed came from the blues which thereafter stuck to him and became a household name for the next 34 years thereon and was uncontroverted till he breathed his last in his sleep few weeks ago. According to the source, the question we should ask ourselves is, who bestowed the title on him, where did the turbanning ceremony take place, who and who were there to grace the occasion? Where is the certificate or letter backing his appointment as the Aare musulumi of yorubaland, where are the pictures taken at the occasion because we all know the Aare is a great lover of pictures and that title is one of his most cherished titles so he would have documented it conspicuously by displaying the picture of the turbaning ceremony in his house for all to see. He himself knows the truth but unfortunately he is gone.

While from another source, the title of Aare musulumi of yorubaland was actually bestowed on him at a well attended programme at the Oja Oba Central Mosque in Beere area of Ibadan after it was unanimously agreed by various muslim groups and association that he is worthy of that title. The source who said he was physically present at the turbanning ceremony said it was a well attended programme and that the late Aare was highly elated on that day.

But by and large, the title has come to stay and it has become an household name. Aare’s exit has left a vaccum. Whichever way the title came, there must be a successor and Oyo state has had its turn and the search must extend beyond to other states in the south-west of Nigeria.  From Lagos state, the one man whose name readily comes to mind is business mogul and Chairman Eleganza Group of companies cum philanthropist who also doubles as the Aare of Lagos Chief Razak Akaani Okoya. From Ogun state, ex. Minister cum politician, Sen Jubril Martin-kuye is another strong muslim eminently qualified to fill the gap. From Ondo State, one man whose  influence both politically and on the religious circles and with the financial capability to muster the needed support internationally is Otunba Haliru Oyewole Fasawe.  From osun state, another businessman cum religious leader whose influence cannot be overlooked is Chief Tunde Badmus, chairman chief executive of Tuns farms whose other business concerns extends into other sectors of the economy.

AARE ONA KAKANFO

This is the most dreaded traditional title in Yoruba land and the myth surrounding it is one of the factors why getting a replacement after over 15 years of the demise of the last holder. A random survey reveals that the likes of former President Olusegun Obasanjo from Ogun State, ex-Governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu from Lagos state fit in to the category.

From Oyo State, former Governor of Oyo State Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala is another eminently qualified Nigerian whose clout and relevance in the society has what it takes to shoulder that title. Former Military Governor of western Nigeria and civil war veteran, Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo from Ekiti State is another name to watch in the quest to pick a new Aare ona kakanfo of yorubaland. His fatherly role in yorubaland and service to to his fatherland in his military career are some of the factors that brings him into consciousness in the race to picking a successor Aare Ona Kakanfo while from osun state, ife born boardroom guru and Aro of Ile Ife Chief Alex Duduyemi is another man you can trust with that enormous task of shouldering that responsibility of being the generalissimo of yorubaland.

AARE OF IBADAN

Before 2008 when late Arisekola Alao was installed the Aare of Ibadanland, little or virtually nothing was known or heard of that title. But with Arisekola’s coming on board as the Aare of Ibadan, attention and focus shifted to the prestige and honour that comes with it.  With his demise, the stage seems set for another titanic struggle to fill that post. Who are those likely successor and even if they fit in, the big question is, can they be like – Arisekola-Alao

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About Unknown

Deji Sadiq, a.k.a DEJI OF LAGOS is a LASU trained Economist turned freelance journalist, a Blogger, an information strategist, a public affairs analyst and a committed activist with a passion for equal opportunities.