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It’s an incontrovertible fact that most litigations over kingship selection and installation are the outcome of the government usurping the role of the Ifa oracle.
This act has divided many kingdoms and undermined their development over time.
A number of litigations have lasted over twenty years in the law court and many parties to such lawsuits died while the court hasn’t handed down its verdict.
Aramoko-Ekiti is among a comity of kingdoms that are entangled in such a draconian conspiracy taken by some personalities who found themselves in the corridor of power.
It would be recalled that after the demise of Oba Wole Amele, the Alara of Aramoko-Ekiti on March 9, 2008, it became necessary for a successor to be selected among the princes in the town.
It’s a normal thing in all kingdoms, except where the succession arrangement had been made and entrenched in the traditional law of such a kingdom like Ibadan, that princes from royal families would show interest in ascending the throne.
But due process has been outlined in the law of the land and the roles have been apportioned to different categories of people and authorities.
In Aramoko-Ekiti, the kingmakers are responsible for the selection of an Oba, though subject to the approval of the Governor and the state Executive Council.
This veto power given the state governor and state Executive Council has ruined many kingdoms and or plunged many into lifetime feud as politicians at one time or another had circumvented the decision of the kingmakers who are usually guided by the voice of the oracle.
When Princes Olusegun Aderemi and Adegoke Adeyemi contested for the throne in 2009, it became an issue when the local government chairman of the area was allegedly ordered not to announce the result of the vote cast by the kingmakers.
It was revealed that Prince Aderemi was allegedly not the favourite of some politicians in power as at then.
Consequently, the result was allegedly manipulated to favour their choice contender and subsequently announced the result.
It was also revealed then that they used religious blackmail to bring in the candidate.
It was widely rumoured that they claimed that the kingmakers didn’t chose the politicians’ favourite because he’s a Muslim.
That was the dummy allegedly sold to the state governor then, Engr. Segun Oni and he innocently took it hook, line and sinker.
These shenanigans prompted the kingmakers and oracle’s choice to approach the court for redress.
The installation was hurriedly done by the state government despite a court order restraining the installation process.
The matter is still before the Supreme Court and coming up for hearing on September 22, 2025.
Be that as it may, Chief Segun Oni was misled and such a grave error was committed inadvertently, but another window has opened presenting an opportunity to right the wrong.
Governor Biodun Oyebanji is facing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give the people of Aramoko-Ekiti their choice.
It’s imperative to draw the attention of the governor to the yeoman’s job and the wisdom applied by his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, in ensuring the people of Oyo kingdom got the desired Alaafin.
The wisdom exuded by Governor Makinde was an outright departure from what political officeholders had been doing in the past, usurping the role of oracle to decide who the traditional ruler of a kingdom should be.
The way he handled the Olubadan imbroglio was another giant stride that still beats the imagination of honourable elders in Yoruba kingdom.
Makinde has earned himself a sobriquet “Omoluabi Omoagba” on grounds of the way he handled the two monarchical impasses.
It is a known fact that the office of the Deputy Governor superintends over the chieftaincy matters, but Governor Makinde was smart and intelligent enough to know that such issues should not be left for a deputy governor to handle single handedly.
Governor Oyebanji would need to borrow a leaf from Governor Makinde’s strategy as he must handle the Aramoko-Ekiti kingship matter himself to avoid recurrence of 2009 saga.
It would be foolhardy to think another set of politicians are not plotting to hijack the obaship process again even though the perpetrators of the last manipulation had gone into political oblivion.
Governor Oyebanji should ensure the rule of law is obeyed whenever the apex court delivers its judgement on the matter taken before it by Dr. Aderemi.
It is a right thing to drag manipulators and usurpers to court, and anyone who seeks redress in the court of law should not be blackmailed or subjected to name-calling for taking such steps.
Dr. Aderemi, despite being robbed and pursuing legal step to retrieve his mandate, he has been contributing to the development of Aramoko kingdom ever since.
He played vital role in influencing the Federal Government’s NITDA Digital Learning Centre, Aramoko-Ekiti, under the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, which is the first of its kind in Ekiti State.
It is verifiable that the centre is already championing digital skills, EdTech, and youth empowerment programmes that position Ekiti as a hub for the future of work and the digital economy.
Dr. Aderemi, who is the Royal Eminence of the Atayero Royal Family, has through his leadership initiative continued to create an enabling environment where faith leaders, global partners, and technology stakeholders converge – all with the shared mission of empowering communities, nurturing innovation, and raising the next generation of global solution providers.
Sometimes ago, he and his wife warmly received Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne and his wife Dr. Adonica, globally respected leaders and founders of Revival Ministries International, Florida, USA, in Aramoko-Ekiti.
The royal visit went beyond cultural exchange, it symbolized the fusion of tradition, faith, and innovation, reinforcing the vision of Dr. Aderemi to open Aramoko-Ekiti to the world through both global partnerships and transformative initiatives.
Nevertheless, the peace of the people of Aramoko-Ekiti rests on the shoulder of Governor Biodun Oyebanji as all eyes are on him.