The Egbe Omo Ogbomoso Parapo Agbaye has rejected the pronouncement of dissolution of its executive committee by the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, describing the move as divisive and unconstitutional.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the association — which unites Ogbomoso indigenes across the globe — reaffirmed its position that the monarch lacked the authority to dissolve its elected leadership. It stressed that the association, duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and governed by a ratified constitution, cannot be subjected to arbitrary dissolution.
“It is ironic and unacceptable for an honorary Grand Patron of a registered organization with its approved constitution to unilaterally dissolve the elected executive committee and appoint an illegal caretaker committee in its stead. Such an act is unknown to our constitution and cannot stand,” the statement declared.
The association further warned that the city was becoming increasingly polarized by such actions, adding that unity should be prioritized over decisions capable of causing division.
Following an emergency meeting held on Monday at its Secretariat in Apake, Ogbomoso, the association announced the suspension of Engineer Lanre Ogunwole, who it said was imposed by the monarch, and named Alhaji Abdulrahim Adetayo Yusuf as its Acting President.
The communiqué, signed by Yusuf and the Public Relations Officer, Comrade T. M. Balogun, emphasized that the dissolution announced by the monarch was “null, void, unconstitutional, illegal and ultra vires.”
The group also recalled that its constitution and Board of Trustees were duly registered with the CAC in 2014 and ratified by its General Congress in December 2017. It noted that as the foundation of its operations, the constitution cannot be overridden by any pronouncement outside its provisions.
In a veiled criticism of the monarch, the association questioned why other life patrons of the group — including the Olugbon of Orile Igbon, the Onpetu of Ijeru, the Onikoyi of Ikoyi, the Aresaadu of Iresaadu, and the Alajaawa of Ajaawa — were not consulted before such a decision was made.
“This is a clarion call to all Ogbomoso sons and daughters both at home and in the diaspora to disregard the purported dissolution and appointment of an illegal caretaker committee that is against the letters and spirit of our constitution,” the statement urged.
The Egbe Omo Ogbomoso Parapo Agbaye assured members that it remains vibrant, alive, and committed to the vision of its founding fathers. It pledged to continue operating in accordance with its constitution and the decisions of its legitimate organs.
