Ekiti community dismisses group’s claim on Obaship tussle

People of Ijesa-Isu Ekiti have dismissed claims by a group  Ijesa-Isu Ekiti Development Collective (IIEDC) over the lingering tussle surrounding the appointment of a new monarch for the community.

The community elders described IIEDC as faceless and its assertions that three ruling houses agreed to adhere to  the 1957 Chieftaincy declaration and adopt a rotational arrangement for the selection of the vacant Obanla stool,as misleading and ploy to distort facts surrounding the ongoing process.

Speaking on behalf of the community, Elder Omoyele Ajobiewe said the claim does not represent the position of the community, stressing that the group is unknown to Ijesa-Isu Ekiti and lacks both structure and legitimacy.

Ajobiewe explained that the claim was allegedly fabricated  to justify alleged irregularities in the process of selecting a new traditional ruler, which he said had generated tension and concern in the community.

According to the elder, the Obaship crisis arose from the handling of the selection process by the Head of Princes, Chief Odofin of Oke-Osa, Sunday Babalola who was mandated to coordinate the exercise.

Ajobiewe explained that 12 contestants from the three ruling houses paid a sum of N500,000 each, in addition to N20,000 earlier paid for the letters of interest, but despite a screening exercise, no official result has been released.

He added that the process, instead was trailed by allegation of signature forgery,, attempts to secure a consent judgment and other alleged underground dealings that undermined its credibility.

He further alleged that Chief Babalola who coordinated the exercise,  single-handedly picked a preferred candidate without consulting other chiefs and the committee constituted for the selection process, in violation of the established customs.

He also dismissed claims that the three ruling houses including Akoko, Omotere and Omotoyo had agreed to a rotational arrangement under the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration, insisting that no such agreement was reached or documented.

He maintained that for centuries, the Obanla stool has been filled strictly in accordance with established customs, lineage rules and divination through Ifa, warning that any attempt to rewrite tradition through faceless groups or sponsored narratives would be resisted.