Royal families ask Fayose to annul Kingship selection process

Ayodele Fayose

The aggrieved royal families in Ekiti State have asked the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose to annul the process that led to the emergence of Prince Adejimi Adu as the Ogoga-elect, the traditional ruler of Ikere Ekiti.

The families, comprising Ogbenuote and Agabaola princes and princesses, maintained that Adu’s emergence contravened the state chieftaincy law and the tradition because the oracle was not consulted.

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Briefing newsmen on behalf of the families, Chief Oladimeji Adegboyega and  Prince Francis Aladejebi, insisted that Adu was not a biological member of either Ogbenuote or Agabaola ruling houses.

The stool became vacant following the death of Oba Samuel Adegboye on August 22, 2014, after reigning for 40 years.

Adegboyega said, “We are begging our Governor, Ayodele Fayose, to prevent calamity in Ikere Ekiti. There won’t be peace under a situation where a non-prince, somebody without royal blood in his system, is installed as Ogoga.

“In his emergence, Ifa was not consulted apart from the fact that he does not belong to royalty. We challenge Adu to come out and point to his royal family in Ikere Ekiti.

“We witnessed peaceful reign under the late Oba Adegboye, who was from Akaiyejo ruling house, because the whole town wanted him. We all supported his nomination. Anything short of transparent selection process is unacceptable to us.”

A frontline women group, Ikere Women Front, had blamed the protest following Adu’s selection on the desperation of the Akayejo Ruling House led by the Regent, Princess Oyinlola Ayooye.

The group alleged that the family planned to impose its stooge as the next king of the town through violent means by mobilising a group of women from the Akayejo Ruling House to stage the protest.

But the Regent described the allegation against her family as a pure  blackmail pointing out that all the people behind the plot would be exposed.

“All I can say is that this is unfair and very bad for these people bringing me  into it and even blackmailing me and trying to destroy my father’s name.

“The royal families laying claim to the throne have the right to do so, and the women that protested have the right to do so, they have their own family names which all of them were representing,” she said.