By James Ogunnaike 

ABEOKUTA—ONE of the families in Otileta ruling house, in Owu Egba Kingdom, Abeokuta, yesterday, threatened to institute legal action against former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other kingmakers over the alleged exclusion of their family, Laara, from the selection process for the next Olowu.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Prince Adeyinka Abolade said their family, Laara, which is one of the families in Otileta ruling house, was excluded from the selection process organised by the ruling house.

It was gathered that the Owu kingmakers may announce the next Olowu-designate, after screening of the candidates by the ruling house when the petition was sent to the head of the house by Laara family.

Prince Abolade said a petition has been filed in respect of the matter, copies of which, he said, had been forwarded to Balogun Owu, Chief Obasanjo, Ogun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Abeokuta North Local Government and Owu Council of Chiefs, protestiing the exclusion of the family from membership of the ruling house.

The petition which was filed by Adebayo Ogungbemi and Co, on behalf of the Laara family, alleged that the ruling house had already forwarded five names to the kingmakers, and in the petition, the petitioners declared that, the relevance of Laara family in Otileta ruling house cannot be toyed with.

The petition reads: “The act and attempt of the Otitela ruling house, by your leadership to ignore, exclude and sideline one of the paramount ruling families cannot be overlooked. Hence, in the interest of justice, equity and fair play for the overall communal interest and the common good of the Owu kingdom, you are hereby advised, within 24-hours, to refrain, stop and desist from continuing the lopsided, fraudulent, non-customary and skewed process of compiling and interviewing candidates.”

The petition declared that the composition of the ruling house include Laara family, Matemilola family, Owookade family, Lumosa family and Aderinoye family, and therefore advised the head of the ruling house to retrace his step in the interest of justice, equity and fair play.