Adebayo Adenrele
Stakeholders in Aramoko-Ekiti, Ekiti West Local Government Area of Ekiti State, have rejected the Ekiti State Government’s directive for a fresh round of Ifa divination in the process of selecting a new Alara of Aramoko-Ekiti, insisting instead that the selection should proceed through a second round of voting by the town’s kingmakers as provided in the state’s Chieftaincy Declaration.
The position was contained in a communiqué issued after a stakeholders’ meeting held in the community on July 25, 2026, where eminent sons and daughters of the town unanimously resolved that there was no legal or customary basis for conducting another Ifa consultation.
The stakeholders urged the Ekiti State Government to allow the kingmakers to carry out their constitutional responsibilities in accordance with the Ekiti State Chieftaincy Declaration, warning that any deviation from the prescribed process could expose the exercise to avoidable litigation.
The development followed an earlier meeting convened by the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Monisade Afuye, with the town’s kingmakers and other stakeholders. At the meeting, the government reportedly directed that a second round of Ifa consultation should be conducted instead of a second round of voting, expressing the belief that such a process would guarantee transparency and credibility in the emergence of the new traditional ruler.
However, in the communiqué jointly signed after a nearly four-hour meeting, the stakeholders maintained that the Ifa divination conducted on July 23, 2026, under the supervision of the Ekiti State Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Home Affairs, was transparent, credible and in strict compliance with Part F of the Ekiti State Chieftaincy Declaration, 2024.
According to them, since the earlier divination had already produced the eligible candidates for the stool, there was no justification for repeating the exercise.
The stakeholders consequently adopted the outcome of the Ifa divination, which produced three princes from the Olokun Ruling House as qualified candidates for the vacant stool.
The shortlisted princes are Femi Akinlabi, Adewumi Adetoyinbo and Tope Ademiluyi, who emerged from an initial field of eight contestants.
The communiqué further appealed to the state government to supervise the kingmakers’ voting process to ensure fairness and transparency, noting that the community was eager to conclude the selection process and have a substantive Alara on the throne.
Meanwhile, a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ekiti State, Chief Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), has also reportedly advised the state government to strictly comply with the provisions of the Ekiti State Chieftaincy Declaration governing the selection of the Alara.
In a letter addressed to the Attorney General of the state, Oyewole was said to have cautioned that any departure from the laid-down procedure could trigger unnecessary legal disputes capable of delaying the installation of a new monarch.
The Regent of Aramoko-Ekiti, Her Royal Highness Adekemi Sherifat Owolabi, commended the stakeholders for their commitment to preserving peace, unity and progress in the community. She particularly appreciated those who travelled from outside the town to participate in what she described as a crucial meeting on the future of the traditional institution.
The stool of the Alara of Aramoko-Ekiti became vacant following the death of Oba Adegoke Olu Adeyemi of the Arakale Ruling House on August 9, 2025, at the age of 82.
Since then, efforts have been underway to produce a new monarch in accordance with the state’s chieftaincy laws and the community’s customary traditions.
