Ikere kingmaker: no Ogoga has been installed

Barely a week after Governor Ayo Fayose installed Adejimi Adu Alagbado as the Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, the dust raised by the enthronement is yet to settle as the head of the community’s kingmakers has said tradition was violated. 

The Sapetu of Ikere, High Chief Michael Adu Shittu, said there would be “terrible consequences because the necessary traditional rites were not done before the presentation of the staff of office”. 

He said failure to perform a traditional rite, Iwoye, before Adu was installed might spell doom for the community.

“The Akapinsa, who is the head of princes and princesses (Omo Owas), was also sidelined in the process. 

“Eleven traditional rites must be performed before an Ogoga is installed. Governor Fayose jumped the gun by presenting the staff of office to an oba, who had not undergone any rite. 

“I am shocked that Fayose, who gave kingmakers 14 days to complete the selection process, went on air three days later to announce his choice.” 

Shittu decried the haste with which Adu was named, presented certificate of appointment and staff of office within a few hours of each process. 

The Sapetu said he had gone to court to challenge his exclusion from voting. 

Shittu said: “I don’t know the reason for the rush because what was supposed to come last came first, which is wrong. 

“Even if a king has the approval of the government there is a rite called Iwoye but this and others were not done and they spell doom for the community. 

“What they don’t know is that sometimes before a king can be enthroned it could take three months even before he receives the staff of office but this was not the case. 

“Collecting of staff of office is just a modern development which the government uses in putting the monarch under its control. 

“The new Ogoga is not allowed to enter the palace without performing these rites, but if he does he will bear the consequences. 

“According to tradition, if you are to do something and you don’t you will bear the consequences. 

“I have filed a case in court for being sidelined and all necessary quarters have been informed. The oba can hide under the guise that he is yet to receive court papers. 

“There were 10 people who voted the new king in and others didn’t partake in the voting. 

“Suddenly, we just heard on the radio at 9am during the governor’s broadcast that he would be giving the new Ogoga of Ikere the staff of office by 12pm. 

“With that, you will know that there is something fishy going on. Also, this is against Yoruba tradition in enthroning a new king. 

“To enthrone a king, there are 11 traditional rites that need to be done or put in place. 

“The first step is that the secretary to the traditional committee of the local government will write a letter but for them, it was the secretary to the local government who was picked. 

“It was a career officer who wrote the letter, this is wrong because he is not supposed to write the letter but if he will write the letter, he will have to write the letter to Akapinsa. 

“I will get a copy of the letter as the head of the kingmakers. I will instruct the selected ruling houses to give the names of their representatives to Akapinsa, who will forward the list to Sao of Ikere, who is the head of Oro Quarters. 

“Sao is my deputy. He is to bring together the candidates. I will bring together the Iwarefa Mefa and the Elegbe Mefa, who are called Agbajilowa and the 12 will meet. 

“After which we will call the other nine kingmakers because there are 21 king makers. 

“But they didn’t bring anybody to us. After the meeting, we will give the candidates a date for an interview. 

“During this period, the candidates will go from one chief to the other wooing them just as in a political campaign. 

“Also, the communities and top shots will have access to them because in enthroning a new king, public interest is vital. 

“During the interview, we will be able to know more about the candidates and to choose the best but in this said enthronement, all these processes were not followed. 

“Even those who should have been informed were sidelined. 

“I can say it authoritatively that I, Akapinsa and some kingmakers were not informed and we don’t know if a king has been enthroned.”