The Iwo Board of Trustees (IBOT), the apex decision-making body in Iwoland, has demanded an apology and retraction from the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Laaroye, over what it described as a “provocative and historically inaccurate” statement regarding the ranking of first-class monarchs in Osun State.

In a statement signed by IBOT President, Prof. Lai Olurode, and Secretary-General, Aare Jire Ayinla, the group faulted Oba Laaroye’s claim that the Ataoja should occupy the fourth position in the ranking of first-class Obas in Osun, above the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba (Dr.) Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi.

According to IBOT, the Ataoja’s assertion was “a clear case of stirring the hornet’s nest” and lacked historical backing. The trustees noted that the Ataoja’s crown was among those formally recognized in 1976 through a decree by then military governor, David Jemibewon, while the Oluwo’s crown “is ageless, pristine, and of authentic Yoruba origin.”

“Though Osogbo has become politically significant since 1991 as the capital of Osun State, its new status cannot override centuries of Yoruba historical reality,” the statement read.

IBOT further stressed that records from the old Western Region did not list the Ataoja among beaded crown monarchs, adding that the misuse of political influence should not be allowed to distort established history.

The trustees warned that such claims could unsettle the relative peace among traditional rulers in the state and urged Governor Ademola Adeleke to intervene.

“We call on the governor to direct the Ataoja, with due respect, to recant the provocative statement and tender an apology to the Oluwo, the Council of Obas and Chiefs in Osun State, and the good people of Iwo,” the statement said.

While acknowledging the historical ties and cordial relations between Iwo and Osogbo, IBOT insisted that facts must not be compromised.

“The peace of Osun State must not be disturbed. Historical falsification must not be allowed to stand, and anyone found guilty of such should be sanctioned as an agent provocateur,” the group concluded.