Culled from First Weekly Magazine......
What could possibly make a first class paramount ruler and the custodian of the tradition and customs of the enlightened people of Akure, the capital of Ondo State throw decorum and gentlemanliness, even at the height of provocation, to the wind and engage his wife in a 'roforofo,' fight, which led to his dethronement.First Weekly can authoritatively reveal the missing link in this jigsaw puzzle, which has been carefully kept away from the public since the unfortunate incident.
The ex-Deji of Akure, Prince Oluwadare Adepoju Adesina, who was then riding really high against the will of some powerful indigenes of Akure, including the Lisa, Chief Davies and who had been recommended for deposition, finally nailed his own coffin on May 30, 2011, when he personally drove himself from his palace to the popular Hospital Road residence of his estranged wife, Olori Bolanle and dragged her out of the house and gave her the beating of her life.
That was the last straw that broke the camel's back, the state government decided to act fast to avoid a total breakdown of law and order in the town as a result of the outcry that greeted this act, so on Thursday, June 10, 2010, the almost 5-year reign of the Deji of Akure was brought to an inglorious end as he was deposed and banished from the town.
“The story that had not been told is the reason behind this strange action of the cosmopolitan man, who was then the king, having lived and worked most of his life in London, why did he end up this way, why couldn't he keep his temper in check,” those who claimed to know revealed to us last week.
“Without trying to justify some of the actions of Prince Oluwadamilare Adepoju, while on the throne, like his penchant for picking quarrels with the high and low in public, what really irked the man was the discovery that his wife, who is now late and should not be spoken ill of, was having an affair with a governor, who was supposed to be his chief, his friend and benefactor.
“The romance between Otunba Christopher Alao Akala, who was then the governor of Oyo State and Olori Bolanle Adesina, nee Fadeyi, was something he couldn't stomach any longer, the woman was merely supposed to be the go-between the governor and the monarch in their business dealings, nothing more than that. It was this discovery that drove the king to the extent he went, you can imagine, a whole king suffering the degradation,” said an informant.
The whole thing initially started as a rumour, but when it was finally confirmed by the person, who was always with the olori during her visits to the governor on behalf of the king, the king decided to challenge the olori, who had also initially expressed her displeasure with the purported romance between Kabiyesi and one of the wives of the late Bashorun Moshood Abiola.
She vacated the palace on the grounds that Prince Adesina was becoming more of a stranger to her since he started dating another woman, forgetting the fact that the man was even married before he came back home from London to contest for the throne and only met Bolanle during the contest and the Owo-born lady stuck with him till he was made king and she also performed all the rites as the olori.
Our source disclosed that the path of ex-governor, Akala and the kabiyesi crossed, when a mutual friend of the king, while in London, introduced the king to Akala. The mutual friend was a close aide of the governor.
It was during the tenure of Dr. Olusegun Agagu, and the monarch, who was not too comfortable with the policy of the Agagu government on the Buy, Operate and Transfer policy of the model market built in his community by the government, felt he had been shut out of the deal as he was only guaranteed peanuts, was not happy and he told those close to him, including the aide to former governor Akala, who promised to facilitate a meeting between the governor and the monarch.
“When they finally met, Akala gave the monarch a contract in Oyo State to supply bullet proof safe and if I can recollect, the first pick was about N70 Million, this was to buy bullet proof safes; the kabiyesi started enjoying the working arrangement and was very visible in Ibadan, the seat of power,” a source divulged.
With time, Akala advised the monarch to put someone close to him forward as a front as it was not good for a whole monarch to be seen waiting for payments.
They both agreed on the choice of Olori Bolanle and another close aide called Collins.
The monarch was to later bestow a chieftaincy title on Alao Akala for his role in his life; he made him the Basorun Atunluto of Akure at an elaborate ceremony in Akure Town.
Not long after this, the visits of Olori Bolanle and Collins to Ibadan became regular to pick-up for kabiyesi and on one of such visits, former governor Akala told his aides to always check the olori into the presidential suites of the hotel and put Collins in a standard room.
Our source told us that one thing led to another and the governor started paying very late night visits to the Olori in her hotel room, and they were reportedly all over one another.
On one or two occasions, Collins was heard complaining that 'ori ade will not like this kind of arrangement,' but all fell on the deaf ears. Our source revealed that it was Collins, who spilled the beans to his boss, kabiyesi, on the matter and since this development, the relationship nose-dived and both men started avoiding each other, but none could summon the courage to confront the other, either for the king to accuse Akala of sleeping with his olori or for the governor to accuse the kabiyesi and Collins of trying to tarnish his image.
The matter was like this until Olori Bolanle reportedly had a strong alibi in the kabiyesi romance with the late M.K.O Abiola's wife and hurriedly moved out of the palace.
While the king was grumbling about his plight, the olori was said to be unconcerned and continued the business on her own, she was living well and even bought herself a jeep, it was this that sparked the demon in the king to put an end to the whole matter in his own way, which unfortunately cost him his throne.
“I can confirm to you that the last contract she got was executed by this so-called aide of former governor Akala and one Femi Babalola, Jogor, a politician, who is said to be interested in the seat of power in the state,” said an insider.
Jogor was the consultant, Olori Bolanle was to have made a cool N10 Million from the deal, but on her dying bed, she was told the money accruable to her was N6M, the Olori was not happy, but she could do very little from her sick bed, but we understand she told her family to make sure they collect the difference of N4M in case of any eventuality.
“You cannot cheat the dead, so if these Akala men have conscience, they will come and do what is right before it is late,” a source maintained.
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