The People of Ikorigho in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State has said Isinmidun Eko is the Olu-Elect of the community and should ignore disgruntled elements parading one usurper, one Busayo Erejuwa.
This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen and signed by Pa Idowu Morighanfe of
Ikorigho Elders Council and Momuseghan Oludewa
Ikorigho of the Youth Congress
The statement noted that Isinmidun Eko is a bonafide and authentic indigene of Ikorigho; he is a descendant of the great Ayeren Ajanaleguru, the ancestor of the Ikorigho people and the custodian of the Ikorigho dynasty, as documented in various records available in the archives.
They noted that Erejuwa Busayo and the self-proclaimed Oloja, along with their accomplices, have claimed to be the Olu elect while asserting that they are descendants of Ehinmosan, the younger brother of the great Ayeren.
They noted that historically, the leadership of the Ikorigho communities had been under the Ayeren descendants, apart from a special arrangement that allowed Pa Erejuwa from the Ehinmoghan family to administer the community until his passing.
The statement added that the children of the late Erejuwa, supported by outsiders, were attempting to usurp power from the Ayeren descendants with a fabricated history that would make their ancestors turn in their graves.
“We, the people of Ikorigho, feel compelled to respond to a disclaimer posted by one disgruntled individual named Shegun Aiyemibuwa, through his social media handler, Jacob Sunday Erejuwa, who is the brother of the usurper, Busayo Erejuwa. This disclaimer seeks to discredit the Olu elect, Isinmidun Eko, by branding him a sojourner and illegitimate. Such claims are an aberration and a taboo to the gods of our ancestors.
“It is incomprehensible how greed for power can lead siblings raised by the same mother to turn against one another. The Aiyemobuwa family should learn from history that those who undertook similar actions in the past were not favoured by our ancestors.
“We urge this group to refrain from labelling the Ayeren descendants as sojourners and other dehumanizing terms in Ikorigho—all for the sake of power.
“The charcoal should not call the pot black. There is no monopoly on violence or hate speech. We have far more to reveal to the public than they may realize in their attempts to discredit the Ayeren lineage.
“We, the people of the Ikorigho dynasty, disassociate ourselves from the disclaimer sponsored by Busayo Erejuwa and his immediate family, which has been published against Omo-Oba Isinmidun Eko, the Olu elect of Ikorigho.
“We strongly condemn such writings and any actions that could unearth buried family history and jeopardize the fragile peace within our community.
“We call upon the good people of the Ehinmoghan family to advise their members to stop colluding with outsiders who seek to set us against one another, undermining our legacy and burning down Ikorigho for their gain.
“We shall defend our land with all our strength, and history will be the judge of us all,” the statement read in parts.
