•We followed due process, says kingmaker

Some members of the Sejeokun Ruling House in Ijare community in Ifedore Local Council of Ondo State have decried an attempt to sabotage the process of selecting a new traditional ruler for the community.

The sole Ruling House in Ijare protested, yesterday, against the alleged actions of Chief Wemimo Olaniran, the head of the kingmakers, known as the Sapetu of Ijare, over his purported move to select his preferred candidate as the new monarch of the community.

Olaniran, however, said that due process was followed by the kingmakers in the selection of the new monarch, saying that 13 candidates were presented by the ruling house.

But the ruling house in a letter to the Speaker of the state House of assembly, which was signed and made available to journalists in Akure by the Head of the Sajeokun Ruling House, Adekunle Alade; Mr. Adebambo Oluwagbemigun and Mr. Adebanjo Adejuwon, the people expressed their displeasure over the development in the community.

According to them, the kingmaker is still going on with the process despite the directive of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs that the process should start all over again.

They alleged that the action of Olaniran had pitched some of the kingmakers against each other and polarised the entire peaceful community.

The ruling house, which called for the removal of Olaniran, said that the community has only one ruling house in line with the chieftaincy declaration and appealed to the Sapetu of Ijare not to interfere in the Sejeokun Royal family affairs, saying he’s never part of the family.

Meanwhile, Olaniran said the bone of contention was the presentation of four out of the 13 initial names after the Ifa divination had been conducted. He said while the kingmakers insisted that all 13 candidates were eligible for the throne, the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs had intervened in the matter, halting all the processes until the determination of suit challenging the nomination of some candidates for the stool.

He said that all the kingmakers were on the same page on the selection of the new monarch for the town, and there was no special interest in any of the candidates but the one chosen for the town through Ifa divination. (The Guardian)

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