Group rejects plan to restart Ekiti kingship process

Residents of Aramoko-Ekiti, the headquarters of Ekiti West Local Government Area of Ekiti State, have rejected an alleged plan to restart the process of selecting a new Alara of Aramoko-Ekiti.

The residents, under the aegis of the Oduduwa Citizen Liberation Vanguard, urged the state government to allow the process already conducted to fill the vacant traditional stool to continue in accordance with the existing chieftaincy law.

The stool became vacant following the death of the Alara of Aramoko-Ekiti, Oba Adegoke Adeyemi, who died in August 2025 at the age of 82.

In a statement on Friday jointly signed by the Coordinator and Secretary of the group, Korede Olanipekun and Abiola Kupolati, respectively, the residents urged Governor Biodun Oyebanji to uphold the Ekiti State Chieftaincy Declaration (2024) and allow the process to be concluded in line with the law.

The group warned that any attempt to amend the existing Chieftaincy Declaration through an executive order or abandon the process already conducted could lead to litigation and create avoidable tension in the community.

The residents said eight contestants from the Olokun Ruling House participated in the selection process, which was conducted under the provisions of the applicable Chieftaincy Declaration and supervised by government officials.

They disclosed that the process included screening, Ifa divination and voting by 12 recognised kingmakers, adding that the exercise produced three leading contestants: Princes Tope Ademiluyi, Oluwafemi Akinlabi and Adewumi Adetoyinbo.

According to the group, the voting by the kingmakers ended in a deadlock, with Prince Oluwafemi Akinlabi and Prince Tope Ademiluyi securing six votes each, while Prince Adewumi Adetoyinbo received no vote.

“The entire exercise from screening through Ifa divination to voting by kingmakers was conducted and supervised by the Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs, the Permanent Secretary and other government officials.

“The process was free, fair and transparent, so government cannot claim ignorance of the stage reached,” the statement read.

However, the group alleged that some government officials were attempting to undermine the constitutional role of the kingmakers by ordering another round of Ifa consultation outside the established legal process.

It further alleged that the move was intended to favour a preferred candidate.

“We have credible information that some government officials plan to discard the almost completed process and secretly place an identifying mark on the envelope of their preferred candidate before presenting it for another Ifa consultation.

“The aim is to enable selected Ifa priests to recognise the marked envelope and pronounce the preferred candidate as the chosen Alara,” the group alleged.

The residents appealed to Oyebanji to ensure that the process was concluded strictly in accordance with the gazetted declaration and without political interference.

They also urged the governor to allow the kingmakers to perform their constitutional responsibility under the existing law rather than operate under what they described as a new directive lacking legal backing.