A retired soldier and Labour Party chairmanship candidate for Ojo Local Government in the forthcoming local government elections in Lagos State, Olumayowa Akogun‑Abudu, has accused the traditional ruler of Iba, Oba Sulaiman Raji Ashade, popularly known as ‘Jafo Authority’, of leading a violent disruption of his campaign convoy on Saturday evening.
In an interview on Sunday, Akogun‑Abudu told the media that the incident occurred at about 5:17 p.m. when his campaign train attempted to enter Iba town—part of the Ojo Local Government Area—after rallies in other neighbourhoods.
“The king stopped us and said we could not campaign in Iba because it is an APC town. He said we should not come and create problems. I said how you allowed APC (All Progressives Congress) to campaign, but you don’t want us to come into the town. So we decided to turn back,” the candidate said.
“While we tried to turn back, one of the cameramen was trying to hail him, saying ‘Our king,’ he just hit the guy with the rod in his hand, and the thugs with him collected the camera from the guy. Police officers attached to the king did nothing.”
“The policemen with him were even the ones supporting the king. It seems, somehow, that they are turning Nigeria into a one-party state,” he added.
Akogun‑Abudu named the alleged attackers as Oba Ashade, his younger brother Jelili Ashade, and a palace photographer identified only as “Smart.” He added that two other WhatsApp group administrators who document his rallies were also harassed.
‘No longer in the army’
The Labour Party candidate—who retired from the Nigerian Army—said a palace aide struck him in the chest, telling him he could “do nothing now that [he is] no more in the army” and accusing him of betrayal for not supporting the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“All I want is a free, fair and credible election,” Akogun‑Abudu said. “If I resort to self‑help, things could escalate, but I’m worried about the safety of my supporters.”
He alleged this was not the first time the monarch had allegedly used traditional rites and local vigilantes to intimidate opposition figures, referencing a March 2023 incident in which, according to him, an elderly resident nicknamed Baba Akibon was flogged during an “Oro” outing.
Larger protest planned
Saturday’s scuffle comes as political parties in Lagos intensify grassroots campaigns ahead of council polls.
“If a king can decide which party is allowed to campaign, Nigeria is sliding toward a one‑party state,” he warned.
The Labour Party candidate urged state authorities and the Inspector‑General of Police to guarantee the safety of all contenders ahead of the election, slated for later this month.
When the media contacted the monarch for reaction, he accused Olumayowa of not informing him before coming to Iba.
He said, “If you are going to a campaign in a place, you have to see the leader of that community – the King of that community. Ask them whether they went to that king to say we are coming to your place to campaign. This person you are talking about is an indigene of Iba, ask him whether he went to the king to say – I want to do my campaign tomorrow in our town – before he brought thugs to the community.
“Will I open my eyes as the king and allow that to be happening in my community? It can’t happen. If he had come to me, there would have been no issue. I have told everyone that I don’t want any fighting in my community. I don’t want any violence. The person you are talking about is my son; he is one of the engines in my community.
“If he had come to my palace and told me, ‘My group will be coming to campaign tomorrow,’ there wouldn’t have been any problem, but he didn’t do that. I called him this morning to say that he should come to my palace.”
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