Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, Oluwo Of Iwoland
Another big controversy is again rearing its ugly head about the Oluwo Of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, a prominent Osun monarch who is serially enmeshed in one issue or the other.
This time, a letter is going the round in the public space that Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi is to be wedded to a new wife, a princess from the Beyero Dynasty of Kano Emirate and that the royal father is therefore soliciting the Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola for alms.
But the monarch through his spokesperson, Alli Ibrahim has vehmently denied the letter insisting that he did not write any letter to Osun State governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, for financial support for the said wedding.
The letter entitled: “Notification of Wedding and Request for Financial Support” was addressed to the governor and dated February 8, 2022.
The letter which was addressed to the governor was received on his behalf by the office of Special Adviser to the governor on Chieftaincy Affairs.
The letter partly reads: “I have the instruction of His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr) Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwo to notify you of Oluwo’s decision to marry a princess from Kano Emirate to be precise Ado Bayero Dynasty.”
“I wish to remind your Excellency that this kind of royal wedding within two notable traditional institutions in Nigeria will require huge expenses, which necessitate support of the state government financially even logistically.”
But when contacted, Press Secretary to Oluwo, Alli Ibraheem, said: “we read with total dismay a letter purportedly said to emanate from the palace of Oluwo of Iwoland seeking financial assistance on his personal affairs, wedding.
“While we commend the enlightened public for their sense of fair judgement, we want to categorically state it that the letter is fake and did not emanate from the palace of Oluwo.”
According to him, “the said letter lacks basic in-house styles of Oluwo’s palace correspondence. Oluwo always append his personal signature while writing the government. Equally, the font in the letter is not our official style.
“At the said date on the letter, Oluwo was not in the state up till now. And his secretary has no audacity, whatsoever to sign on behalf of His Majesty while communicating with the government.
“The letter was orchestrated by mischievous people whose mission is to discredit the palace. Marriage is a personal affairs. There is no marriage venture too big for Oluwo to finance on his own. Those circulating such letter should exercise caution. Queen is coming but not in haste of the public demand. ”
The monarch’s spokesman, therefore, enjoined the public to get their facts before jumping on the bandwagon.
It will be recalled that Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi’s marriage to his former wife, a Jamaican, Ms. Chanel Chin, had crashed in December 2019 amidst another public hoopla.
