Culture
Nigerian-Born LGBTQ Activist Receives National Diversity Award in UK
A London-based Nigerian-born citizen Olanrewaju Ayinla popularly known as Lanre Larry has been given certificate of achievement with National Diversity Awards for championing the human rights, equality, and dignity of the LGBTQ African community in the United Kingdom.
Lanre is an LGBTI+ rights activist and member of Out and Proud African LGBTI, a refugee-led organisation dedicated to supporting African immigrants and LGBTI asylum seekers.
The event took place at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool city of England.
Lanre was shortlisted from over 50,000 applications which stands as a landmark achievement and a clear testimony of his hard work, resilience, and dedication to equality, diversity, and inclusion agenda.
Lanre is also known from his works as a volunteer to many UK-based charity. organisations and a member of human rights organisation such as Movement for Justice by Any Means Necessary, his critical and challenging efforts within the UK’s African LGBTQ community against all odds has pulled down many barriers and also liberated many oppressed souls.
A document has emerged revealing the identity of whom the Oyo Mesi, a group of kingmakers in Oyo State, selected as the new Alaafin of Oyo, Nigeria Updates has learned.
According to the document, the Oyo Mesi, reportedly picked Lukman Gbadegesin from the Agunloye Ruling House and forwarded his name to the government last year.
In the document sighted by Premium Times, the name of the late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi’s likely successor was sent to the Oyo State government on September 30, 2022.
The document, believed to be a proclamation document and a court judgment, was signed by the five living Oyo Mesi members and two warrant chiefs selected by the government to replace deceased Oyo Mesi members.
The proclamation reads, “We hereby proclaim Prince Lukman Adelodun Gbadegesin the new Alaafin.”
The kingmakers said they received a list of 82 aspiring princes from the Baba Iyaji of Oyo, the head of all princes, Mukaila Afonja.
As the proclamation shows, all the kingmakers signed for Mr Gbadegesin, whose grandfather, Alaafin Bello Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II, was the predecessor of the immediate past Alaafin Adeyemi III.
By Oyo tradition and the Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration, Baba Iyaji is empowered to collect the names of aspiring princes from the next ruling house and transmit them to the Bashorun, the head of Oyo Mesi.
The Bashorun would then convene a meeting of the kingmakers to take a vote, and the prince, with a simple majority, is to be proclaimed Alaafin.
According to the law, an aspirant or the ruling house has 21 days to petition the government to challenge the selection. But no such petition was written.
However, after the expiration of the 21-day window, a prince, Hakeem Ladigbolu, approached the court to set aside the selection process.
But in a judgment given on December 19, 2023, an Oyo State High Court in Oyo Town, upheld the process leading to the selection of Gbadegesin, court papers show.
Nigeria Updates gathered that despite the proclamation by the Oyo Mesi and the court judgment upholding the process, the government has yet to make a formal stand.
Meanwhile, the Bashorun of Oyo, Yusuf Akinade, confirmed the process has been concluded.
He told the platform, “We have submitted everything to the government, direct all other questions to the government, but we have completed the process.” He, however, refused to disclose the name of the prince selected.
Ghandi Laoye, a former pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, who was on Friday installed as the new Soun of Ogbomoso in Oyo State, has begun his set of traditional rites.
The pastor, who was based in the United States, arrived in Ogbomoso early in the morning on Friday in a private chopper, which landed at the Ogbomoso Grammar School, before moving to the palace.
The Soun of Ogbomoso stool became vacant after Oba Jimoh Oyewumi passed away on December 12, 2021.
The new monarch would spend seven days in seclusion, after which he would receive the staff of office from the state government, PUNCH reports.
Few days ago, the General Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has instructed Laoye to stepped down as a pastor and handed over to Pastor Olumide Ogunjuyigbe.
Meanwhile, a member of the family opposed to Laoye’s nomination by the kingmakers, Muhammed Laoye, headed to court, arguing that the process that produced him was inconclusive. They added that a minority committee performed the task instead of the whole family members.
Governor Seyi Makinde had on September 2 in a statement by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Olusegun Olayiwola, approved the selection of Laoye as the next Soun.
But on Thursday, a state High Court in Ogbomoso restrained the governor, the Attorney General of the State and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters either by themselves, agents or officials from presenting any instrument of office in any form of ceremony or issuance of certificate of installation to Laoye until the final determination of the mandatory injunction already filed before the court.
Meanwhile, the new monarch was at the palace on Friday for official installation, which was performed at Abata by the kingmakers, led by the Areago, High Chief Sobalaje Otolorin.
The kingmakers however said they did not receive any court injunction restraining them from installing Laoye as the new Soun of Ogbomoso.
The Oyo State Government has approved the appointment of Prince Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye as the new Soun-elect of Ogbomosoland.
Olusegun Olayiwola, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, revealed this in a statement on Saturday that the announcement followed the long-drawn processes specified under the law.
He said “His Excellency congratulates the new Soun-elect on his ascension to the throne of his forebears.”
The Commissioner said the exalted position has placed the monarch-elect in the position to facilitate harmony, understanding and tolerance amongst his people.
The Commissioner also urged all sons and daughters of the ancient city of Ogbomoso to work with the monarch to consolidate the successes of his forefathers.
It reports that the last occupant of the stool, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Jimoh Oladunni Oyewumi, Ajagungbade III, joined his ancestors on December 12th, 2021 at 111years.
Oba Oyewunmi ascended the throne on October 24, 1973 and ruled the ancient town for 48years.
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