An Offa-based sociocultural organization, Igbimon Omoluabi Offa, has accused the President of Offa Descendants’ Union, Alhaji Muideen Salako, of disrespecting the sacred stool of the Olofa of Offa and demanded his immediate resignation.
In a press statement obtained by Lens.ng on Saturday, the group described Salako’s leadership as a “monumental offense against the throne and the people,” accusing him of converting ODU into a political wing of the All Progressives Congress.
The President of Igbimon Omoluabi Offa, Ahmed Afolabi Rildwan, stated that Salako publicly declared himself “second in command” after the Olofa in the affairs of Offa Kingdom, a statement the group described as “not only false but a direct affront to the Olofa stool, Olofa-in-Council, and the Offa traditional institution.”
“We then ask, what is the placement of Essa, Ojomu, Balogun, Shawo, Asalofa, and other high chiefs in the council? To disrespect the Olofa of Offa is to wound the very soul of the land,” the statement read in part.
The group accused the ODU leadership of distancing itself from the Olofa’s recent Offa Development Retreat, a royal initiative that brought together eminent Offa sons and daughters including Dr. Awal Ibrahim Brimoh, Chief Ayotunde Raji, Alhaji Tajudeen Owoyemi, Alhaji Jide Oyewumi, Chief Waheed Olagunju, and Senator Oyelola Ashiru.
“To dismiss such a royal-driven initiative, to distance ODU from it, is not mere arrogance, it is sacrilege. It is an unforgivable sin against the Offa Kingdom,” the statement emphasized.
Igbimon Omoluabi further alleged that Salako frustrated the widely publicized Channels Television Offa Local Government Chairmanship Debate because his preferred APC candidate lacked the quality and competence to face the people.
The group claimed that when the Kwara State Governor imposed candidates without elections, the Salako-led ODU was the first to issue a congratulatory message, “shamelessly endorsing an undemocratic process.”
The statement noted that historically, ODU has been led by distinguished figures such as Chief Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye (OFR), who promoted harmony and upheld the sanctity of the Olofa stool, adding that none of the past leaders ever brought ODU into ridicule or political servitude.
“Unfortunately, the current leadership under Alhaji Muideen Salako has brought more shame than fame to Offa land. For the first time in our proud history, ODU has been politicized, openly converted into a partisan wing of the ruling APC,” the group stated.
Igbimon Omoluabi accused Salako of having repeated confrontations with respected Offa elders, including the Asiwaju of Offa, Alhaji Tajudeen Owoyemi, which necessitated interventions by elder statesmen to avert public embarrassment.
The group also alleged that the Salako-led ODU unlawfully removed its National Secretary, suppressed dissent, and defended “every anti-people action of the government, including the demolition of Offa people’s shops without compensation.”
“This is the only ODU President in history without any tangible investment in Offa, yet he consistently antagonizes genuine investors and philanthropists who have brought development and employment to the land,” the statement added.
The group demanded that Salako tender an unreserved public apology to His Royal Majesty, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye II, and voluntarily resign as President of ODU.
“Offa is greater than any individual or clique. The Olofa’s stool is not to be toyed with. To disrespect it is to court the wrath of history and the ancestors of Offa land. This is not just a call for accountability, it is a sacred demand for redemption,” the statement concluded.
Efforts to reach Alhaji Salako for comment were unsuccessful as of press time.
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