April 17, (THEWILL) – The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, is in a gay mood. The reason is because his father, Chief Joseph Olubiyi Toriola, is now the new Ogunsua of Modakeke town in Osun State. Oba Toriola was installed as the 20th Ogunsua of Modakeke last week. His installation came barely one month after the demise of his predecessor, Oba Moses Oyediran of the Ajombadi Ruling House, who passed away at the age of 95.
The newly crowned king waited for 43 years to ascend the throne, but not without getting involved in some controversies. The business mogul was accused of disrupting the peaceful co-existence of Modakeke town for a couple of years before he was crowned king. In 2018, after Oba Francis Olatunji Adedoyin, the 18th Ogunsua of Modakeke town passed on, Toriola, who was a chief at the time, tried to prevent the crowning of Chief Oladejo Oyediran, the Balogun of the town, as the next king.
Although Chief Toriola was aware that in the history of the Ogunsua Modakeke stool, the highest-ranking chief, usually the Balogun of the town, should be crowned and that it was Oyediran’s turn to ascend the throne, he opposed it vehemently. He challenged Oyediran’s candidacy, based on some health challenges, which many of the traditional council members argued was old age-related. Toriola was not convinced and he insisted that the next person in rank should take over the coveted title. The town’s youths beat him up for being audacious and stripped him of his chieftaincy beads before the issue was eventually resolved and Chief Oyediran was crowned the 19th Ogunsua of Modakeke Kingdom.
Shortly after the death of Oba Oyediran, Toriola started another campaign to stop the next candidate for the kingship from being crowned. He sponsored some people to announce that the next candidate, Chief John Adeboye Okunola, was dead. Youths within the community had to visit Okunola to ascertain what Toriola said. However, it was discovered that Okunola was still alive and in good health. It became the subject of another tussle between some elders of the community, who were supporting Chief Toriola and the youths, who wanted a peaceful succession plan. Both parties had to sit down and agree on what was best for the community and how to continue with the peaceful co-existence of indigenes. The traditional council had to step in and chose Toriola, who eventually emerged as the new monarch of the community.
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