Seven persons have indicated interest in the Olupele of Ipele stool, in Ondo State, seven months after the demise of the last monarch, Oba Victor Agaun.

They are Olatunbosun Isijola, Ayodele Oginni, Olabode Olatosin, Olukayode Dairo, Olusola Ayuba, Samuel Daramola and Temitope Abu. They are from the Okeriwo Ruling House, which is the next in line to fill the stool. They were nominated at a November 28, meeting held at St Stephen Anglican Church.

Two representatives of Owo Local Government, Kola Akinkoye and Mrs Olayemi Yusuf, attended the meeting.

The nominees took turns to present their plans and programmes of action for the development of the town at the occasion.

Vicar of the Church, Dr. Olatunde Abiodun, exhorted the king makers to do the right thing and shun pecuniary gain.

He urged the nominees not to regard the contest as a matter of life and death.

“God will judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”, he said.

Eight king makers, includingAdewunmi Abitoye, former Minister of State for Education, are expected to select a winner from the seven contestants. The winner will be crowned the 20th Olupele of Ipele.

A former Daily Times Editor, Mr Dapo Aderinola, who is from Ipele, said the exercise went well.

Ipele, he said, was home to many renowned Nigerians, including Africa’s first petroleum engineer and Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Secretary -General, the late M.O. Feyide, Africa’s first professor of geography, the late Prof J.A. Majasan, Senator Titus Olupitan and famous artist, the late Akinola Lasekan (Akin Lash), among others. (Vanguard)