The people of Odo Ora Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area, on Thursday, appealed to Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State to dethrone their traditional ruler, Oba Akinola Adeyemo, alleging that he was not the rightful heir.
Some of the community chiefs and leaders who spoke in Odo-Ora Ekiti, said that Adeyemo was imposed on them by former Governor Ayodele Fayose.
According to them, Fayemi should dethrone the monarch for the rightful heirs who are the sons of Adewoye and Idowu families.
They claimed that the embattled monarch had yet to perform the traditional rites which could only be conducted by High Chief Olajide Ajewole, who is the second in command to the traditional ruler if truly he is the community’s monarch.
The representative of Adewoye’s family, Mrs Alice Oke, declared that the sons of Adewoye were the rightful heirs to the throne and not the Adeyemo family.
She explained that the family of Adeyemo had always wanted to sideline the two remaining families, Adewoye and Idowu families whom were all from Fatimehin’s lineage but they had refused to step down.
“The current monarch actually imposed himself on the people of Odo Ora through the help of the former governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, and High Chief Samuel Fayigbe, who is the third in the hierarchy of command in the town.
“We are only appealing to the state government to dethrone him and instal the rightful heir to the throne in Odo Ora Ekiti,’’ she said.
Also, the representative of Idowu’s family, Chief Florence Faniyi, appealed to Fayemi to dethrone the embattled monarch and instal his son who is the rightful heir to the throne.
The former regent explained that the “Ifa’’ Oracle had been consulted and it picked her son, but Fayose with some other chiefs decided to destroy the royal lineage of the community as a result of their selfishness.
“My son was picked as the heir to the throne by Ifa Oracle, while the embattled monarch, Oba Akinola Adeyemo, was rejected by the oracle.
“But Governor Fayose never agreed with the traditions of the community and went ahead to give him the staff of office against the wishes of the people,’’ she explained.
The Oloja Odo of Odo Ora Ekiti, High Chief Olajide Ajewole, who is the second in command to the traditional ruler, said the current traditional ruler of the town was not the legitimate heir to the throne in the community.
He explained that in Fatimehin’s lineage, three families were entitled to the throne, the Adeyemo, Adewoye and Idowu families.
“But the father of the embattled monarch had ruled between 1975 and 1988 and the mantle went to the second ruling family which was Ogidilusu lineage where Owoniya family ruled for a few years before the demise of their monarch in 2014.
Ajewole, therefore, said that the royal mantle currently falls on Fatimehin’s lineage, but the next families that were eligible to the throne were both Adewoye and Idowu’s families and not the the Adeyemo family.
He said that he was arrested, harassed and detained with some other chiefs who refused to support his ascension to the throne.
He appealed to the state government to rescue the community from the hands of the monarch.
The Secretary to the Obalemo-In-Council, Chief Tola Adepomola, equally corroborated the submission of the Ajewole, explaining that Oba Akinola Adeyemo should be dethroned because he was never the chosen one for the throne.
He said that he was equally arrested by the monarch because he advised him not to be hostile to the people of the community.
The Eyegun of Odo Ora, Chief Beatrice Adepomola, also said that all the women in the community were not in support of the imposed monarch.
She noted the community had not experienced peace and development since he became the monarch, adding that the state government should remove him for peace to reign.
The representative of the Elders Forum, Chief Pius Ojo, and the representative of Elite Group, Prof. Dipo Olofintila respectively, condemned the acts and steps taken by the former governor of Ekiti, Fayose, which brought Adeyemo to the throne.
They both said the embattled monarch was never a traditional ruler of the community because he was never chosen by the Oracle and the people.
The duo of Mrs Funke Kolade and Mr Ayodele Ajayi, who spoke on behalf of the youth of the community, said that over 31 of them were unlawfully arrested, detained and harassed by the Police because they refused to support the monarch’s ascension to the throne.
They claimed that he was not the rightful heir to the throne and appealed to the state government to dethrone him and install the eligible monarch for peace to reign.
The people of the community, whose main occupation was farming crops such as Cocoa, Cashew, Cassava and others, are facing economic challenges due to the development.
Mr Olusola Adepomola, a native of the community, said that many farmers could not go to their farms for threat to their lives.
Adepomola said: “Our main source of livelihood is farming, that is what majority of the people here do. We do not have any other source of income.
“However, since this kingship was forced on the people, and the threat he has been giving us by arresting most of the community members, we have been forced to stop going to farms.
“That is why we are seeking help from the government to come and look into the matter urgently,’’ he said.
But the embattled traditional ruler, Adeyemo, refuted all the allegations levelled against him.
Adeyemo declared that the people who were busy saying that he was an illegitimate monarch were ignorant.
“How can some people be saying that I am not the legitimate king, when I was given a staff of office by former Governor Ayodele Fayose.
“I have been attending `Kabiyesi’s’ Council meetings, I believe those chiefs and indigenes of Odo Ora spreading such a rumour are foolish.
“There were processes when I was about to be chosen, we collected forms, we did interviews, the Ifa Oracle was consulted and I was chosen.
“Therefore, if some of the aggrieved chiefs are not satisfied with the steps that brought me to the throne, they should go to the court and file a suit,’’ he said.
Adeyemo was given staff of office by the former Ekiti Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose on January 27, 2017, after he conducted a voting exercise at the government office.
