The selection process of a successor to a deceased monarch of Eko-Ende in Osun State has run into a storm as the next ruling house to produce the successor (along with its eleven candidates) has petitioned the State Governor, Ademola Adeleke alleging underhand manipulation by the kingmakers in the process.
The petition handled by W. A. Olopade, Esq., an Attorney-at-Law reads:
His Excellency,
Governor Nurudeen Ademola Jackson Adeleke,
The Executive Governor of Osun State,
Bola Ige House,
Abere, Osogbo.
Dear Sir,
VACANT STOOL OF ELENDE OF EKO-ENDE
MISCONDUCT OF THE EKO- ENDE KING MAKERS, REFUSAL TO FOLLOW THE LAW, AND CUSTOM, APPOINTMENT MADE/OBTAINED CORRUPTLY AND BY UNDUE INFLUENCE AND THE NEED TO SET ASIDE THE PURPOTED APPOINTMENT
We write as Solicitors to the AYEDUN RULING HOUSE, represented by the Head of the entire Ayedun Royal Family, Prince (Pa) Sulaiman Oyekunle and Eleven (11) Candidates from the Ayedun Ruling House of Eko-Ende, namely:
1. Prince Tiamiyu Sule Adegboyega;
2. Prince Oyekunle Ibrahim;
3. Prince Prince Jimoh Lateef Babatunde;
4. Prince Temitope Taiwo;
5. Prince Adebisi Yunusa Adeniyi;
6. Prince Adeboye Samuel;
7. Prince Alhaji Ibrahim Oladosu;
8. Prince Abdul Lateef Abioye;
9. Prince Ibrahim Aroyehun;
10. Prince Oladosu Wahab Abiodun; and
11. Prince Oladosu Isiaka.
The entire Ayedun Ruling House referred to above hereinafter referred to as “Our Clients” have retained our services and on their firm instructions make representations to the Executive Governor of Osun State, to set aside the purported appointment made on the 15th November, 2023 by the Kingmakers of Eko-Ende, Osun State led by Chief Kolawole Ogunkeye.
It would be recalled that Oba Abdul Rauf Olaniyan Ajiboye, Olaigbo VIII transited to the great beyond on the 26th March, 2023 and it is the turn of the Ayedun Ruling House to nominate candidate(s) to fill the vacant stool.
The Ayedun Ruling House, under the Head, Prince (Pa) Suleiman Oyekunle was notified belatedly of the need to convey family meeting and to nominate candidate(s). A meeting of the Ayedun Ruling House family was convened on the 21st September, 2023 and in attendance was the Local Government staff from the Ifelodun North Local Council Development Authority, Eweta, Ikirun, Osun State who in an obtuse and overbearing participation in the meeting demanded that intending candidates should go ahead to obtain Expression of Interest (EoI) form from both the Osun State Government and the Ifelodun North Local Council Development Authority, Eweta, Ikirun, Osun State.
Then followed the nomination of candidates after which the names of candidates were forwarded to the Kingmakers through Chief Kolawole Ogunkeye, Eesa of Eko-Ende.
THE KINGMAKERS: The living kingmakers are five namely;
1. Esa of Eko- Ende
2. Odofin of Eko- Ende
3. Jagun of Eko- Ende
4. Osholo of Eko- Ende
5. Olukotun of Eko- Ende
All the kingmakers were appointed customarily after consulting the Ifa Oracle at the Idi-Otin Shrine, Eko-Ende and their installation was also customarily and traditionally carried out at the same Idi-Otin Shrine, Eko-Ende by the Aaje, the Otin Traditional Priest.
TRADITION AND THE KINGMAKERS’ ROLE
Having received the names of the nominated candidates by Chief Kolawole Ogunkeye, the Chief Eesa of Eko Ende and knowing fully the customary norms of consulting “Ifa” Oracle and by tradition at a place designed for the consultation known and called “Idi-Otin” in Eko-Ende, Chief Kolawole Ogunkeye summoned the meeting of the nominated candidates and other Princes and Community Leaders, the Prelates and Chief Imam to his residence at Inisa Road, Eko-Ende. The other four kingmakers were in attendance.
One principal issue raised by Chief Kolawole Ogunkeye and supported by the other four kingmakers was the mode and means of consulting Ifa Oracle as part of the customary law to enable the suitability of a candidate to emerge.
After extensive discussion, it was agreed that all candidates would obtain form in the sum of Thirty Thousand Naira (#30,000.00) per nominated candidate and the proceeds thereof should be used to carry out the spiritual consultation of the Ifa Oracle. Apart from those at the meeting whose identities are contained above, Pa Ladipo warned and decried the undue influence of a very close friend of Chief Kolawole Ogunkeye, the Esa Eko-Ende in trying to impose an unpopular candidate with doubtful and debatable pedigree as the Elende of Eko-Ende on the throne. The Eesa, Chief Kolawole Ogunkeye had no answer to the grave allegation of undue influence openly levelled against him by Pa Ladipo.
At the meeting organised by the Executive Chairman, Ifelodun North Local Council Development Authority, Eweta, Ikirun, the issue of custom pertaining to the emergence of a candidate to the stool of Elende of Eko-Ende came up. The Executive Chairman cancelled the payment of the Thirty Thousand Naira (#30,000.00) only per candidate and opted to pay the sum of Two Hundred Thousand Naira (#200,000.00) only to enable the Kingmakers headed by the Eesa of Eko-Ende to carry out the Traditional Customary consultation. The Chief Eesa collected the said sum of Two Hundred Thousand Naira (#200,000.00) only.
On 2nd November, 2023, at the instance of the Kingmakers, the selection exercise was organised at Ikirun, the Eweta Headquarter of the Ifelodun LCDA.
The issue of whether the kingmakers had consulted Ifa Oracle as widely customarily believed was raised by the Head of Ayedun Ruling House, Pa Suleiman Oyekunle, to ascertain whether the customary law relating to the appointment had been complied with.
The kingmakers merely collected the sum of money but refused, failed and neglect to consult the Ifa Oracle at Idi-Otin Shrine as it is customarily mandatory to the emergence of a candidate to fill the vacant stool of Elende of Eko- Ende in public glare. The conduct of the Kingmakers is in clear contravention of Section 20(1)(c) of the Chiefs Law, Cap. 25, Laws of Osun State, which enjoins the full compliance with the customary law relating to the appointment of Elende of Eko-Ende.
THE MANIPULATIONS
As said earlier in this piece, in public glare at the meeting summoned by the Eesa of Eko Ende, one prominent community leader decried the undue influence and the corruption associated with the Kingmakers. Having failed to comply with the customary law relating to the selection of a candidate, the Kingmakers, to enable the manipulation of the process in favour of the pre-determined candidate, shifted the voting ground to Eweta in Ikirun. It is against the tradition of Eko-Ende to select the incoming Elende of Eko-Ende outside Eko-Ende both in Ikirun or elsewhere.
THE CHARADE CALLED VOTING BY KINGMAKERS
On the 15th November, 2023, the twelve candidates were summoned to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs by the Eesa, Chief Kolawole Ogunkeye, through the Head of the Ayedun Family. The letter dated 13th November, 2023 refers.
As a fall out of the aborted selection process on the 2nd November 2023 at Eweta, Ikirun, a letter of protest dated 6th November, 2023 (copy attached) alleging that the Kingmakers have been bought over by Mr. Waheed Adekunle with a sum of #50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira) widely circulated was not countered by the Kingmakers. Instead, the kingmakers were flaunting their ill-gotten wealth through dubious means in public glare at Eko-Ende community. While some of the Kingmakers suddenly woke up to either build or renovate their houses at a frantic pace, others bought vehicles while some were stashed away for aftermaths.
Having corruptly enriched themselves at the expense of peace and progress of Eko-Ende, the charade called voting exercise was organised to take place at Conference Hall, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Osogbo; letter dated 13th November 2023 attached.
On the 15th November, 2023, while honouring the invitation extended to the candidates and by 9.00 am of the day, the Conference Hall, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Osogbo was filled with staff presenting and or defending their departmental budget. The kingmakers sat by the entrance foyer.
All the candidates were present except the kingmaker’s preferred candidate.
To our Clients’ utter surprise, no attendance was taken of our clients present and no place was designated for the voting exercise while the conference hall was otherwise engaged. Our client however noticed that the kingmakers later entered an office and by the time they were getting out made straight for their waiting vehicle. One of the security agents around informed our Clients that the voting was completed and that the announcement would be made on the radio and television channels.
Before our clients moved out of the State Secretariat Abere, Osogbo, the social media had become awash with congratulatory messages to Mr. Waheed Adekunle and by extension a “Thank You” poster to your Excellency Mr. Governor.
The question is whether the provision of Section 15 of the Chiefs Law, Cap.25, Laws of Osun State was complied with? Section 20 (3)(a) of the Chiefs Law, Cap.25, Laws of Osun State empowers Your Excellency to set aside the selection of Mr. Waheed Adekunle for failure to comply with the law.
For the avoidance of doubt, Section 15(1)(f)(ii) of the Chiefs Law, Cap.25, Laws of Osun State provides;
“if the names of more than one candidate are submitted who appear to the Kingmakers to be qualified and not disqualified in accordance with section 14, the names of those candidate shall be submitted to the vote of the kingmakers and the candidate who obtains the majority of votes of the kingmakers present and voting shall be declared appointed.”
By intendment, the above provision of the law envisages voting in the public whether open or secret balloting that must be accompanied with instant declaration of the results after the voting exercise. Your Excellency, the voting umpire is shrouded in mystery, the voting was never carried out in public and at Eko-Ende Where the law envisages. The kingmakers for their dirty hands are afraid of their own shadows.
Your Excellency, our humble request in view of the afforestated facts which are all verifiable, is to set aside the appointment purportedly made of Mr. Waheed Adekunle by the Kingmakers. Though unannounced and declared but which had been carried in the news media and yet to be denied by the kingmakers.
Again, the Kingmakers are stakeholders in engineering peace in the community. However, in the instant case, the Kingmakers of Eko-Ende had soiled their hands by corruptly imposing Mr. Waheed Adekunle as the Elende-elect after collecting millions of Naira. It clearly shows lack of credibility and capacity to lead to carry out their duty. Your Excellency must intervene to disband them, provide alternative Warrant Kingmakers to lead Eko-Ende to peace.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
W. A. Olopade, Esq.,
Attorney-at-Law
Cc:
The Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice,
Osun State Ministry of Justice,
Osun State Secretariat,
Abere, Osun State.
The Ministry of Local Government of Chieftaincy Affairs,
Osun State Secretariat,
Abere, Osun State.
The Commissioner of Police,
Osun State Police Command,
Ring Road,
Osogbo, Osun State.
