There was tension yesterday at Afin in Akoko Northwest Local Government of Ondo State, following moves to re-conduct election for the choice of a candidate to fill the vacant stool of Alafin.
The stool became vacant 14 years ago when Oba Idris Oloruntegbe joined his ancestors.
It was learnt that there was an election early this year supervised by local government security agents where a university don based in Abuja emerged after beating two other contestants with six votes against nine.
Residents were expecting government’s approval until it was allegedly aborted due to a petition written by other contestants accusing an indigene serving in Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s administration of allegedly using his position to influence the emergence of the don, which he however denied.
The re-scheduled election slated for yesterday was greeted with violence.
As early as 8am, all roads leading to the town were blocked by youths, who chanted war songs. Women were naked to the waist.
The protesters carried sticks and made bonfires at strategic places in the town.
Two youths, Afisu Sadiq and Fatai Laisi, as well as Mrs. Abigail Ajayi said the community made their choice during the first election by the king makers.
They said attempt to repeat the exercise would amount to manipulation, as 80 per cent of Afin-Akoko indigenes supported the choice of Dr Raheem Mustapha of the National Open University of Nigeria(NOUN)as the next Alafin.
Others believed that option A4 could be used to test the candidates’ popularity.
The runner up in the first election believed his opponent was afraid of defeat, stressing that that was why they were not ready for yesterday’s election.