Palpable tension has enveloped the ancient ljare community in lfedore council area of Ondo State, over the selection of a new monarch.
The ancient stool of the Olujare of Ijare, became vacant two years ago when Oba Adebamigbe Oluwagbemigun, Kokotiri II, joined his ancestors.
The process of selecting a new monarch by the royal family and the kingmakers,ran into troubled waters, following legal tussle arising from the illegal exclusion of some candidates to the throne including Prince Kola Oyewole.
Some concerned indigenes of Ijare, in a statement, signed by Elder Ojo Bamidele, expressed displeasure that members of the Sejeokun Ruling House has been united since the selection process started until some self-appointed adjudicators came on board in the family and wanted to deny some candidates right to be part of the critical stage of the process which led to litigation.
The concerned indigenes who exonerated the Ondo State Government from the looming chieftancy tussle, alleged that the Chairman of Ifedore Local Government, Hon. Alex Oladimeji, who is from the town is “plotting to force one of his cousins in the race on the community as the monarch.
The statement reads, “the purported forwarding of four, out of the thirteen names that applied to be Olujare and initially emplaced before the Kingmakers (Afobajes), was a product of arbitrariness meant to unlawfully nay illegally exclude the names of candidates that are believed to constitute a threat to the candidates some cabals want to desperately force on the people.
“It is heartwarming that aggrieved stock of the Sejeokun Ruling House, the Olukekere/Osunpamisi descendants, has gone to court to challenge the purported illegal suspension of Chief Aarinmo, the unlawful exclusion of his candidate, Prince Kola Oyewole, and the moonlight frivolous narratives that seek to dislocate the inextricable link the Olukekere/Osunpamisi stock of Sejeokun Ruling House has to the Olujare stool.
“Traditionally, it is within the purview of the Kingmakers to choose the Olujare, and the leader of the distinguished Chiefs has cautioned himself from embarking on illegality by processing the four selective candidates sent to him, on the receipts of letters of complaints of unlawful exclusion and court processes contesting the legality of the advancement.
“It is needless, to say the least, that High Chief Wemimo Olaniran, the Sapetu of Ijare, has been subjected to vicious attacks by paid agents who want to goad him to treading the inglorious path of injustice, unfairness and illegality.
“Permit us to state, very unequivocally, that the government of Ondo State has since distanced itself from being dragged into legitimizing illegality, as the Chairman of Ifedore Local Government, Hon. Alex Oladimeji, who is prejudicially pushing for one of the candidates that is his cousin, has made the whole world to believe.
One of the contestants involved in the matter in a statement made available to journalists said ” After the death of Oba Adebamigbe Oluwagbemigun 20th August 2021, all the rites was performed to send the spirit of the late Oba to join his ancestors.”
“At the completion of the rites, the kingmakers met and sent message to the government to start the process of choosing a new Olujare.The government informed the Omowa ( Ijare Princess) to forward the names of interested contestants to the Afobaje ( kingmakers) within 14 days.
“According to him 13 people showed interest, the omo’wa screened them and forwarded the 13 names to the kingmakers. Afobaje ( kingmakers) consulted ifa, 3 Princess where good:Prince Kola Oyewole ( Ejiogbe)Prince Adebamisaye Prince Oluwase Some element from the omowa ( Prince). Got lawyer to stop the kingmakers by writing to the local government that security report is not good.
After many meetings, the omowas ( Prince) decided to consult ifa which was not the norm.”
He however said “the Ondo state commissioner for chieftaincy affairs has intervened in the situation, After Prince kola Oyewole went to court for unlawfully exclusion from the list presented to the kingmakers by some group of omo’wa and the same group clamped to suspend the head of Omowa Chief Aarinmo of Ijare.”
Leave a Reply