Fayose turned down pleas to interfere in election of Ikere-Ekiti monarch

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, has turned down the request by some elders in Ikere-Ekiti to annul the decision of the Kingmakers that unanimously picked Prince Adejimi Adu as the next Ogoga of the ancient town The Governor said he would not interfere in the process of selecting the new monarch saying the he would allow the wish of the kingmakers to prevail Ikere-Ekiti is the second largest town in the state.

Following the vacuum created by the passing on of Oba Samuel Adegoke Adegboye on August 27, last year, the fourteen kingmakers in the town had early this year chose Adu as his successor after due consultation with the Ifa oracle according to the tradition of the town.

The governor, who was addressing some elders of the town led by Chief Olusola Bayode in his office, pleaded with them to allow peace to reign in the state.

According to a press statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, and made available to the press, the Ikere-Ekiti elders had implored the governor to annul the selection ‎of Prince Adeimi Adu and order fresh selection process, claiming that Adu was from Oke Ikere Quarter and not a ruling house, and that an Ogoga could not come from there.

They also told the governor that by Ikere tradition, the candidate for the Ogoga title could only come from Iro Quarter and that the selection of Adu was an aberration.

But Fayose told the delegation that he had no interest in who becomes the new Ogoga, saying that he did not want to meddle in what did not concern him, saying that his role as governor was limited to the installation and presentation of Staff of Office to the king.

He said that the selection of candidate for the vacant position was the duty of the kingmakers. The governor said: “I have no attachment to anybody, I don’t have candidate,‎ I don’t want to meddle in Ikere Obaship. I wont impose new Ogoga, I don’t want to be seen as inconsistent. I must be fair and be seen to be so by everybody.”

On the request that he should annul the selection of Adu and order fresh selection process, Fayose said he could not do that because he was not a court‎ of law. The governor said that only the court could look into the merit or otherwise of their complaints, but he appealed to Ikere Community to give peace a chance and allow the town to have a new king.