Obateru Brothers At War Over Father’s Empire

‘…people are cooking up stories’ -Prince Femi Akinruntan

The news quietly filtering into town is that, the Akinruntan borthers- Yomi and Femi are at war.

The two siblings are half brothers and eldest of children of their mothers.

The princes – their father, Oil magnate Obateru Akinruntan is now a king in Ugboland, Ondo state- are said to be quarrelling over control of their father’s businesses.

This is said to be via influence being wielded in strategic areas of operations and among their father’s confidantes.

The fight is alleged to be polarising the family by virtue of their positions.

Siblings of the same mother and their faithful are said to be quietly siding with one another.

But the man said to be having the upper hand, the younger of the brothers, Prince Femi Obateru described the story as ‘a fallacy that should be disregarded by all’ in a chat with www.societynowng.com

Insiders however insist that it should be expected- that the combatants would do all possible to keep the squabble for control within the fold of the family in other not to incur the ire of their father and patron of the family- King Akinruntan.

According to informants Femi gained the upper hand in the vying for influence by virtue of his portfolio within his father’s empire.

He is in charge of the finances of the Obat Oil, the key to the Akinruntans fortune and resides in Lagos, the heart of the business operations of the recently installed monarch.

These factors are said to have transformed him into an influential player in his father’s affairs- he operates from the vantage position of being able to dispense patronage.

His elder brother and combatant Yomi, lives in Abuja with the claim to fame of overseeing one of their father’s sprawling hotel in that part of the city.

His attempt to create a clout for himself outside of his father’s business in politics was short-lived- he failed to secure his dream political party’s nomination for his desired post.

He was forced to return back to the fold of his father’s business empire to slug it out with his younger brother.

The battle between the two is said to be on, with Yomi reportedly striving to take larger responsibility and more active role in his father’s business- while his brother checkmate him by working harder to sustain the belief of more than capable to run things.

Strangely, it was their father that appointed them into the current positions they enjoy within his empire.

Here is a full text of Prince Femi Akinruntan’s reaction to our enquiry on the issue

‘Firstly I want to bring to the knowledge of all that the Akinruntan family is one unique family, where love and equity reign. Prince Abayomi Akinruntan is my elder brother, friend and mentor. As a matter of fact, he (Prince Abayomi) is the best brother one prays for, a man of integrity and the ‘BEST AMONG EQUALS’. I know that people are out there cooking up lots of alien stories to distract us from taking OBAT GROUP to the next level, but we have a fighting back weapon which is called LOVE…The oil and gas sector is vast, and not a one man thing, in terms of management and decision making. The inputs and expertise of Prince Abayomi on daily basis has helped OBAT GROUP in breaking new frontier. Thus rumour of a cold war between myself and my beloved brother is fallacy and should be disregarded by all’