September 03, (THEWILL) – The supremacy war between Oba Olatunji Olatunde, the Onimesi of Imesi in Ekiti State and Chief Bodunde Gabriel, the Olokun of Imesi, has finally come to an end. The Governor of the state, Biodun Oyebanji, had to suspend Chief Gabriel to force a reconciliation between him and Oba Olatunde.
Before the traditional ruler ascended the throne in 2020, THEWILL gathered, Chief Gabriel had in 2018 started agitating for autonomy for a part of Imesi known as Okun. He allegedly demanded autonomy for Okun because he wanted to be crowned as its traditional ruler.
A request for autonomy was presented to the Ekiti State Government but it was rejected because of Gabriel’s excesses in the state. Thereafter he mounted opposition against Oba Olatunde when the latter became traditional ruler of Imesi.
Gabriel allegedly resorted to measures aimed at undermining Olatunde’s emergence as Oba. He was even rumoured to be behind a violent attack against the traditional ruler in 2022, which led to the destruction of several properties in Oba Olatunde’s palace.
Also, Chief Gabriel allegedly fueled a communal crisis in the town through unlawful and arbitrary arrest of subjects over frivolous issues and he continued to constitute a nuisance in Imesi. He stopped attending meetings organised by Oba Olatunde and was working against his directives.
A petition had to be written by the Onimesi-in-Council to the Ekiti State Government against Chief Gabriel because of his actions and insubordination to constituted authority. A meeting was arranged so that the government could intervene; however, Chief Gabriel failed to attend and didn’t send a representative. He kept the deputy governor, Chief Monisade Afuye, who represented the governor standing for a few hours. The governor had to suspend him indefinitely and gave a stern warning that he should stop parading himself as Olokun of Imesi Ekiti.
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