Tension Rocks Ekiti as Three Monarchs Fight Bitterly Over Council Chairmanship

 

Traditional chiefs of Ilawe-Ekiti and Igbara Odo-Ekiti have staged a public protest against the Ologotun of Ogotun-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Oyebade over what they called his “undue monopoly” of chairmanship of Ekiti Southwest Local Government Traditional Council, The Nation reports.

 

The placard-carrying chiefs accused the Ologotun of breaching the law creating the local government which prescribed that the chairmanship of council of obas in the area be rotated among the three paramount rulers, the Alawe of Ilawe, the Arajaka of Igbara Odo and the

Ologotun.

 

According to The Nation, the Ologotun, Oba Oyebade is also the Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers. The other two first class monarchs in contention for local government traditional council chairmanship are the Alawe of Ilawe, Oba Adebanji Alabi and the Arajaka of Igbara Odo, Oba Edward Jayeola.

 

The protesting Ilawe and Igbara Odo chiefs alleged that the three monarchs had rotated the chairmanship among themselves mutually and without acrimony until it was the turn of Ologotun in 1997 who has spent 20 years on the seat.

 

But the Ologotun said he occupies the seat by virtue of being the only “Pelupelu Oba” in the local government area which confers the privilege on him. The Pelupelu Obas are 16 in number and they are the foremost kings in Ekiti land who belong to the “inner circle of the traditional institution.”

 

Oba Oyebade, who is also the Chairman of Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers, maintained that “there is no known law which says that he (Ologotun) should rotate the chairmanship of Ekiti Southwest LG traditional council with the Alawe and the Arajaka” warning the protesters and the sponsors against mixing tradition with politics.

 

Quoting from the provision of Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers Law No 3 of 2000, Section 2 Sub-Section 3, the Ologotun contended that has been vested with the permanent chairmanship of Ekiti Southwest Traditional Council as it is the case in Moba, Ijero, Ikole and Ido/Osi Traditional Councils.

 

One of the protest leaders, the Elemo of Ilawe, High Chief Gbenga Agbona, accused the Ologotun of refusing to step aside for other Obas to take their turns “using all manners of tricks and tactics.”

 

Agbona said: “At first, he (Ologotun) capitalised on the incapacitation of the immediate past Alawe and instability in Igbara Odo occasioned by succession tussle.

 

The Asamo of Igbara Odo, High Chief Banji Olowofela, said the chiefs yielded to the clarion calls of the people of their communities to call on Ologotun to step aside and allow another monarch to occupy the seat in the interest of equity and justice.

 

Olowofela said: “We can no longer tolerate Ologotun’s monopoly of the chairmanship at the expense of and to the detriment of Ilawe and Igbara Odo moarchs and their people.

 

Ekiti Southwest Local Government Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Omolase, said the matter was already receiving the attention of Governor Ayo Fayose whom he said set up a panel chaired by his deputy, Dr. Kolapo Olusola, to resolve the crisis.

 

He disclosed that the panel had summoned the three monarchs to submit their memoranda and they would soon be invited to defend their papers after which a final decision would be made.