Anxiety over Ekiti kingship crisis

The ancient town of Ikere Ekiti erupted in series of protest by women last week over Prince Adejimi Adu as the monarch-elect of the community. 


They alleged opposition of his choice by the regent of the community, Princess Adeyooye Ayooye and her Akayejo Ruling House against the selection. 


The protests included those of the Ikere Women Front and a group of women from Ogbenuote and Agabaola Ruling Houses. The protests came on the heels of an earlier one on Monday by a group of women opposed to the selection of the monarchelect.


The Ikere Women Front blamed the recent protests in the community on the desperation of the regentled Akayejo Ruling House to impose its stooge as the next ‘Oba’ of the town through violent means. 


Leader of the group, Mrs Ilori Ogunlade, alleged that the anti-Adu protesters were “ignorantly mobilised by their payers to rubbish the image of the state government and discredit the choice of the new king”. 


Ogunlade, who berated the regent for allegedly sponsoring a campaign against the state government in a bid to elongate her tenure, also cautioned the warring section of the Uro axis of the town to stop pursuing any sectional agenda which might lead to uprising from the other sections of the community. 


Similarly, placardscarrying group of women from Ogbenuote and Agabaola Ruling Houses also accused some power brokers from the Akayejo Ruling House of impersonating the entire Ikere women