Though the leadership of the Kingmakers of Ogbomoso have nominated a prince as the next Soun of Ogbomoso and have forwarded his name to the Executive Governor of Oyo State for approval, there have been a lot of heated reactions and opinions on who sits on the vacant stool of the Soun of Ogbomosoland.
According to the succession order, the Olaoye Family are to produce the new Soun of Ogbomoso. However, rather than produce one consensus candidate for the traditional office, not fewer than 23 names were forwarded to the Council of kingmakers of the town.
These contesting princes are said to have come from ten branches of the the ruling house. Yet, One thing that is certain is that only one person will emerge as the crowned king of Ogbomoso after all is won and lost.
List of Contestants for the Vacant Throne of Soun of Ogbomoso
- Isiaka Oluwasegun Lasisi
- Gbolahan Idowu Oyegoke
- Gbadamosi Taofeek Lawal Olaoye
- Surajudeen Lawal Olaoye
- Abayomi Isaac Jacob Oyewusi
- Bello Sephil Okunloye
- Abubakar Abdul-Ganiyu Akano
- Olabode Akeem Olayide Olaoye
- Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye
- Mohammed Kabir Olaoye
- Tirimisiyu Gbolagade Bello
- Mohammed Gazali Jamiu Oyetunde
- Amusa Felix Bello
- Ismail Kayode Olaoye
- Badmus Babatunde Olaoye
- Johnson Olusola Olaoye
- Olalekan Olaoye
- Surajudeen Akorede Olaoye
- Muhammed Nurudeen Bello Olaoye
- Peter Olatunde Olaoye
- Taofeek Adeyemi Akorede Olaoye
- Musibau Adeniran Alimi
- Abdul-Rahman Hamsat Adebayo
That is the list of the 23 candidates from the Olaoye Royal Dynasty.
These Princes expressed their interest in participating in the exercise by obtaining necessary forms.
Corollary to their expression of interest, the Kingmakers of Ogbomoso town conducted an open interview for the contestants vying for the kingship position at the Ogbomoso Town Hall and came up with a consensus candidate rumored to be Prince Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye.
Since his nomination as the next king of the ancient town, Prince Ghandi has face several oppositions from the aggrieved contestants, religious institutions and members of the public.
For one, some of the aspirants wrote a petition to the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde questioning the selection process that led to the nomination of Prince Ghandi as the next Soun of Ogbomoso.
At some point, certain person who also faulted the selection of Pastor Afolabi Ghandi as the Soun of Ogbomoso Designate claimed that Ghandi bribed the kingmakers to outshine other contestants.
Whether true or not, the coast will become clearer as the days go by.