Adebayo Adenrele
The stakeholders of Aramoko Ekiti have rejected calls for a fresh Ifa divination in the selection process for the vacant Alara of Aramoko stool, insisting that the exercise conducted on April 23, 2026, remains valid and should be concluded through voting by the duly constituted Kingmakers in line with the Ekiti State Chieftaincy Declaration 2024.
The position was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting, where prominent sons and daughters of the community unanimously resolved that there was no legal or customary basis for restarting the traditional selection process.
The meeting, presided over by the Regent of Aramoko Ekiti, Her Royal Highness Adekemi Sherifat Owolabi (née Adeyemi), brought together High Chiefs, Chiefs, community leaders, elders, religious leaders, women and youth representatives, professionals, political leaders, market leaders and other stakeholders to deliberate on the inconclusive selection of the traditional ruler.
The communiqué recalled that the selection process began on April 23, 2026, with an Ifa consultation involving eight eligible princes in accordance with the customs governing the selection of the Alara of Aramoko Ekiti.
The communiqué was endorsed by representatives of the various segments of the community, including High Chief Oyebade Kolade, the Sajowa of Aramoko representing the Alara-in-Council; Chief Abiodun Ilori, Vice President of the Aramoko Development Association; Elder Oladunjoye Ayeni, Chairman of the Aramoko Steering Committee; youth leader, Comrade Sesan Abegunde; Chief Mrs. Comfort Taiwo Eyelaye; the member representing Ekiti West Constituency I in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Kareem Abegunde; former Deputy Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Gbenga Olabode; the Chief Imam of Aramoko, Sheik Abdul Raheem Bamigbola; Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Aramoko, Most Apostle Mathew Afolayan; and Mr. Bolaji Ayomide, representing traditional worshippers.
According to the stakeholders, the divination produced three qualified princes who were subsequently presented to the Kingmakers for voting but, the voting exercise ended in a tie between two of the candidates, forcing an adjournment without a final decision.
Addressing the gathering, the Head of the Kingmakers and Asao of Aramoko, High Chief Oladiran Adebayo, briefed participants on developments following the inconclusive exercise.
He disclosed that the Kingmakers were later invited to a meeting by the Office of the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, where government representatives reportedly suggested that a fresh Ifa divination should be conducted by another Ifa priest to be provided by the state government.
According to him, it was also indicated that the outcome of the proposed fresh divination would be final and that the Kingmakers would no longer be required to vote before the emergence of the new Alara.
Following extensive deliberations, the stakeholders rejected the proposal, maintaining that there was no justification for another Ifa consultation since the initial exercise was conducted under the supervision of the Ekiti State Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Home Affairs in strict compliance with customary procedures and the Ekiti State Chieftaincy Declaration 2024.
They noted that the Commissioner had publicly commended the peaceful and transparent conduct of the April exercise and praised the people of Aramoko for their cooperation, describing the process as credible and in line with the law.
The stakeholders therefore reaffirmed that the Ekiti State Chieftaincy Declaration 2024, made pursuant to the Chiefs Law of Ekiti State, alongside the customary laws regulating the selection of the Alara, remains the only applicable legal framework for the exercise.
They resolved that the outcome of the April 23 Ifa divination, which produced the three eligible princes, should remain binding and that the eventual Oba-elect should emerge through voting by the duly constituted Kingmakers as stipulated under Part F (vi) and (vii) of the Chieftaincy Declaration.
The meeting also appealed to the Ekiti State Government to supervise the concluding voting process by the Kingmakers in accordance with the extant laws to ensure a credible and peaceful conclusion to the selection process.
