A public affairs analyst, Omojola-Martins Ademulegun, has called on the Ekiti State Government to refrain from interfering in the ongoing selection process for the Alara of Aramoko stool, insisting that the state must strictly adhere to the existing legal framework governing the exercise.
In a statement issued on Monday, Ademulegun cautioned Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration against changing the established selection procedure after the process had already advanced significantly. According to him, the government should not “shift the goalposts in the middle of the game,” stressing that the appropriate course of action is to follow the law to its conclusion.
The Alara throne became vacant following the death of Oba Olu Adegoke Adeyemi in August 2025 at the age of 82. Since then, the selection process has been underway, with community stakeholders previously defending the transparency of the exercise despite calls from some quarters for it to begin afresh.
Ademulegun described the ongoing succession as a major test of the rule of law in Ekiti State, arguing that legal provisions should prevail over administrative preferences. He criticized the directive reportedly issued by the Deputy Governor requiring the selection to proceed solely through Ifa consultation instead of voting, describing it as an attempt to alter established rules after the process had commenced.
While acknowledging that the directive appeared to promote traditional values, he argued that it conflicts with the provisions of the Registered Ekiti State Chieftaincy Declaration 2024 governing the selection of the Alara of Aramoko. According to Ademulegun, the declaration was approved in April 2023, gazetted in 2024, and remains legally binding on all parties, including the state government.
He recalled that on April 23, 2026, kingmakers conducted both the screening and voting process. Out of eight contestants from the Olokun Ruling House, three were cleared through Ifa divination in accordance with the declaration before the 12 kingmakers proceeded to vote. The exercise reportedly ended in a tie, with Prince Tope Ademiluyi and Prince Femi Akinlabi each receiving six votes, while Prince Adewumi Adetoyinbo secured none.
Ademulegun noted that senior government officials, including the Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs, Permanent Secretary, relevant directors, the Local Government Chairman, and the Local Government Secretary, supervised the process. He maintained that once voting had taken place, the exercise had progressed beyond screening into the legally recognised stage of selection.
Responding to claims that voting could encourage bribery, Ademulegun argued that such concerns represent policy opinions rather than legal authority. Citing provisions of Article F of the Chieftaincy Declaration, he explained that the law clearly provides for nomination, Ifa consultation, voting by kingmakers, and the use of a casting vote by the Head of Kingmakers whenever a tie occurs.
He observed that rather than exercise the casting vote provided by law, the Head of Kingmakers opted to call for another round of voting, a decision government representatives present reportedly accepted at the time. Ademulegun identified three major concerns with the new directive.
First, he argued that the declaration contains no provision prohibiting voting after Ifa consultation, noting that references to a simple majority and casting vote clearly anticipate a voting process. Secondly, he said changing the rules after the exercise had reached an advanced stage breaches the legal principle of legitimate expectation, since contestants and kingmakers participated based on the existing declaration.
Thirdly, he maintained that the declaration only requires Ifa to sanction eligible candidates before voting and does not empower it to choose one candidate after a voting deadlock. He warned that restarting the process under different rules could expose the selection to prolonged litigation, deepen divisions within Aramoko, and create unnecessary political controversy.
Ademulegun therefore urged the government to reconvene the 12 kingmakers, enforce the casting vote provision contained in the declaration, document the proceedings transparently, and allow the lawful process, not administrative directives, to determine the next traditional ruler.
He concluded that the handling of the Alara succession would ultimately demonstrate whether the Ekiti State Government remains committed to upholding the rule of law or chooses to alter established procedures after the process has already begun.
