Reported by: Puis Althea | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Ekiti State Government has officially ruled out voting in the selection process for the new Alara of Aramoko Ekiti, directing the kingmakers to conclude the succession through Ifa consultation instead. The directive was issued on Thursday, July 16, 2026, by the Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, during a meeting with kingmakers and stakeholders from Aramoko Ekiti in Ekiti West Local Government Area. Afuye said Governor Biodun Oyebanji's administration would not support voting among kingmakers, describing it as susceptible to bribery, manipulation and other practices capable of undermining the integrity of the traditional institution.
According to the Deputy Governor, the government has no preferred candidate and is committed to ensuring that the selection process strictly follows tradition and the provisions of the law. "The governor has directed that the selection process should be concluded through Ifa divination under a properly moderated atmosphere. There will be no voting after the Ifa consultation because someone will emerge through the traditional process," she said. She stressed that Ifa consultation remains the most respected and time-tested method of selecting Yoruba monarchs, urging stakeholders to avoid actions capable of creating disunity or discrediting the traditional institution.
The Alara stool became vacant following the death of Oba Olu Adeyemi of the Arakale Ruling House on August 9, 2025. The succession process had earlier produced three finalists—Prince Femi Akinlabi, Prince Adewumi Adetoyinbo and Prince Tope Ademiluyi—from the Olokun Ruling House through Ifa divination after eight contestants initially sought the throne. However, the process ran into a stalemate after the 12 kingmakers voted, with Prince Tope Ademiluyi and Prince Femi Akinlabi securing six votes each, prompting government intervention.
Afuye appealed to residents and interested parties to refrain from inflammatory comments on traditional and social media platforms, assuring them that the government would neither impose a candidate nor compromise the process. Also speaking, the Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Home Affairs, Hon. Ojo Atibioke, dismissed claims that the state government had a vested interest in the selection, insisting that choosing a new Alara remains the exclusive responsibility of the kingmakers. He maintained that Governor Oyebanji's administration had consistently conducted transparent and credible traditional ruler selection processes across the state, noting that previous installations had withstood legal scrutiny because they followed due process.
Atibioke warned against using social media to malign the government, saying such actions would not influence the selection process. A kingmaker and Asao of Aramoko Ekiti, Chief Diran Adebayo, commended the government for adhering to the town's customs and traditions and pledged the community's support for the renewed Ifa consultation. Similarly, the Chairman of Ekiti West Local Government Area, Hon. Moses Omojola, urged members of the Olokun Royal Dynasty to remain united and avoid a recurrence of the divisions that characterised the emergence of the late Oba Olu Adeyemi.
However, the decision has not been without controversy. Stakeholders in Aramoko-Ekiti had earlier appealed to the state government to restart the selection process following allegations of irregularities and exclusion. In a petition dated May 8, 2026, addressed to Governor Oyebanji, the stakeholders urged the government to include all eight eligible princes initially presented by the Olokun Ruling House to the kingmakers, rather than limiting the contest to three candidates reportedly shortlisted after an Ifa consultation on April 23. The petitioners faulted the selection exercise, alleging that the process failed to adhere to the principles of justice, fairness and equity, and was marked by conspiracy, manipulation, injustice and exclusion.
The petitioners questioned the participation of an Ifa priest who reportedly accompanied one of the shortlisted princes, Prince Sheu Femi Akinlabi, during the divination exercise led by renowned Araba Ifayemi Elebuibon and his team. According to the group, allowing the priest associated with one of the contestants to take part in the consultation did not provide a level-playing field for the remaining candidates and raised concerns about neutrality in the process. Earlier, three princes submitted a separate complaint on April 24, expressing dissatisfaction with the selection process and warning that an observer Ifa priest allegedly brought by Prince Akinlabi ought not to have acted as interpreter during the divination process, as such a role could result in bias, conflict of interest and possible manipulation of the oracle's outcome.
Despite these concerns, stakeholders and indigenes of Aramoko-Ekiti have defended the selection process, describing it as credible, transparent and in strict compliance with the community's chieftaincy declaration. They dismissed allegations of irregularities surrounding the Ifa consultation, stating that a renowned Ifa priest, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon, was invited by the kingmakers, and not by any contestant. The stakeholders declared that the process of Ifa consultation and voting by the kingmakers was free, fair, and credible in line with the tradition of the ancient town. They called on the Ekiti State Government to disregard faceless individuals and conclude the selection process promptly so that Aramoko can have a king.
With the government's latest directive, the selection process for the new Alara of Aramoko Ekiti now hinges entirely on the outcome of the renewed Ifa consultation. The government has made it clear that there will be no voting after the consultation, and that the traditional oracle will ultimately determine who ascends the coveted first-class stool. As the community awaits the final decision, the focus remains on ensuring that the process is conducted with transparency, integrity, and adherence to the time-honoured traditions of the Yoruba people.
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