Kingmakers in Ode Iele community, the headquarters of the Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State, have called on the Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, to intervene in the community’s chieftaincy matter.
The kingmakers alleged that the Chairman of the local government, Mr Segun Ajimotokin, was planning to impose a candidate to fill the vacant stool of the community.
This was contained in a letter sent to the governor, signed by three kingmakers, High Chief Jacob Omokungbe, High Chief Olorunsola Olajide and High Chief Taye Orimomoye and the counsel to the Opetunsin Ruling House, Mr Bode Famakin.
In the letter, the kingmakers stated that the state High Court, in 2010, had ruled that a prince, Dr Bamidele Ekunsanmi, who is the candidate of the Opetusin Ruling House, should be installed as the next Ode Irele monarch but the previous governments had allegedly been refusing to complete the process of installation of the candidate for political reasons.
The letter read in part, “The kingmakers unanimously elected him (Ekunsanmi) as the Olofun-elect but the past government had refused to commence the final processes of installing as the substantive Oba of Ode Irele since 2013 for political reasons.
“And now the incumbent Chairman of Irele Local Government, Mr Olusegun Ajimotokin, in disobedience to the court judgment, failed to commence the final process despite repeated demand for him to do so. He recommended Oyenusi family as a Ruling House, in which he knew that Oyenusi is not a ruling House and he is planning to commence a process of installing another person from Orunbemekun Ruling House, when it is not the turn of Orunbemekun to produce a king.
“It is our brief that the council boss continues to make all tricks and means particularly his position to perpetrate and champion the course of disobeying the court order by encouraging overzealous members of the community to prevent justice.”
The kingmakers urged the governor to intervene in the matter in the interest of peace and development of the community.
In his reaction, the Chairman, Ajimotokin, denied the allegation, describing it as frivolous and mischievous. He stated that he did not have the power to impose anybody as a king in any community, adding that he had never disobeyed the court judgment on the matter.
He said, “Those people who made the allegation just want to cause confusion in the community. I have no power to impose anybody as the king. The government asked us to set up a peace and reconciliation committee on the matter and the committee has submitted its report to the deputy governor.
“The government invited all parties involved and advised us to maintain peace pending the time the matter would be finally resolved. But for me I didn’t have any candidate or plan to impose anybody.”
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