The Olowu of Owu Kingdom in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oba Saka Matemilola, has debunked reports of any rift between him and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying all is well between them.

Obasanjo, who is the Balogun (Chief Warrior) of Owu Kingdom, has been absent from events organised by the kingdom, fuelling rumours that the former President may not be happy with the emergence of Oba Matemilola as the 14th Olowu.

It would be recalled that Obasanjo, who was part of the kingmakers that selected Oba Matemilola, was also absent at the coronation ceremony of the monarch in 2022.

The former President was said to have travelled out of the country during the coronation. Oba Matemilola, while denying any rift between him and the former President, said he (Obasanjo) was highly instrumental to his success on the throne in the last one year.

The monarch spoke, yesterday, during a media briefing to herald activities marking his first coronation anniversary in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Matemilola, a professor of Applied Mathematics, said although Obasanjo might not be present at all his events due to his busy schedules, his success story could not be told without mentioning the former President.

He said: “Balogun (Obasanjo) has been absent at some of our events. I am sure this has not gone unnoticed. Balogun has been very instrumental to everything I have been doing.

“For those who may have been monitoring his (Obasanjo) activities, you will realise that he is always on important international missions. During my coronation last year, he actually championed the whole of the planning and the delivery of that event, but he had to be somewhere in the Horn of Africa during that period to help address a major crisis that was going on at the time," he added. (The Guardian)

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