Aramoko-Ekiti kingmakers appeal to the Ooni to intervene after a six-month suspension leaves the Alara stool vacant amid growing unrest.
The kingmakers of Aramoko-Ekiti, Ekiti State, on Monday appealed to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, to intervene in the protracted process of selecting a new Alara of Aramoko-Ekiti, which they said has remained suspended for six months.
The kingmakers, under the Alara-in-Council, urged the Ooni to prevail on Governor Biodun Oyebanji to allow them to reconvene and conclude the selection process, warning that the prolonged vacancy was affecting traditional activities and generating restiveness among youths in the community.
In a statement signed by the head of kingmakers, Julius Oladiran Adebayo, and the secretary, Kolade Oyebade, also known as Sajowa, the council said the intervention of the foremost Yoruba traditional ruler would help protect the community’s cultural heritage and chieftaincy traditions.
The kingmakers said the selection process began in April 2026 in accordance with the Alara of Aramoko Chieftaincy Declaration and the Ekiti State Chieftaincy Law.
According to the statement, three princes were shortlisted through Ifa divination conducted by Baba Araba Elebuibon, after which voting by the 12 kingmakers ended in a tie, with six votes each.
The council said a second round of voting was expected to resolve the deadlock but alleged that the process was suspended by the state Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs, leaving the community without a new traditional ruler six months after the exercise began.
“However, six months later, the process remains suspended after the Honourable Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs postponed it. Our letters to the government have not received a response,” the kingmakers said.
Appealing directly to the Ooni, the council described Aramoko-Ekiti as a community with deep historical and cultural ties to Ile-Ife, the ancestral home of the Yoruba people.
“As a town founded by descendants of Oduduwa, Aramoko-Ekiti shares an unbroken cultural and spiritual bond with Ile-Ife. Our customs, our crown, and our chieftaincy rites all emanate from Ife,” the statement said.
The kingmakers added that the Alara stool was more than a local traditional institution, describing it as part of the wider Yoruba cultural heritage under the spiritual and cultural influence of the Ooni.
“Kabiyesi, we are constrained to run to you as our father and the custodian of Yoruba culture. The stool of Alara remains vacant. Our youths are restive. Our traditional festivals and rites cannot hold,” they said.
They urged the Ooni to use his influence to persuade Governor Oyebanji to authorise the immediate resumption of the selection process and enable the kingmakers to complete their assignment in accordance with the law.
“We therefore beg Kabiyesi Onirisa to please use your revered office to appeal to Governor Oyebanji to kindly grant permission for the kingmakers to reconvene immediately and complete the selection,” the statement added.
The council expressed confidence that the intervention would lead to a peaceful resolution, while appealing to the governor to respect the applicable laws and traditions governing the selection of the new Alara.
