Two Premiers and a Governor: The Story of the Battle for the Premiership of Western Region

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By Onigegewura Olarenwaju

It was three o’clock in the morning. The telephone rang in the Governor’s official residence in Ibadan. Who could be calling the Governor at this time of the day?  The Governor was told it was someone from Lagos and the caller insisted that he must speak with the Governor personally. The caller said it was urgent and important.

The Governor of Western Region, Oba Tadenikawo Adesoji Aderemi, the Ooni of Ile-Ife, answered the phone. His Royal Highness recognized the voice on the other end. It was the voice of a royalty, a prince, a jurist and a Knight of the British Empire. The caller was His Lordship Sir Adetokunbo Ademola, the Chief Justice of the Federation.

“Kabiyesi, may I respectfully advise Your Majesty to vacate the Government House immediately.”

Oba Aderemi thought it must be a joke, and an expensive one at that. Vacate the Government House? And immediately too? As if reading His Majesty’s mind, Justice Ademola assured Kabiyesi that it was not a false alarm and that the Arole Oodua might be forcibly ejected from the Government House before the end of the day if he failed to leave. His Lordship was calling because as a prince himself he didn’t want Kabiyesi, and by extension, the throne of Oodua, to be disrespected.

What could have causedthe Ooni, the Supreme Representative of Oduduwa, the founder of Yoruba race tobe asked to leave the Government House in the middle of the night...