Ekiti community rejects suspension of kingmakers

From Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado-Ekiti

The Agunsoye Ruling House of Imesi Ekiti community in Gbonyin Local Government Area of Ekiti State has rejected the suspension of kingmakers and replacement with warrant chiefs.

The government had sacked the four kingmakers and replaced them with warrant chiefs to perform the role of kingmakers in the process of filling the stool of the Onimesi of Imesi-Ekiti.

The stool became vacant following the demise of Oba Oladimeji Adeyeye in December 2018.

The house expressed anger about the decision to appoint warrant chiefs against the traditional practice, describing it as an act of illegality and flagrant desecration of tradition.

It said that the ill-motivated action was a decoy by government officials with vested interest to impose Mr. Festus Olatunde as the Onimesi of Imesi-Ekiti.

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A statement yesterday in Ado-Ekiti by the Head of the house, Prince Adu Fasunlade, said that the brazen removal of the kingmakers at a time three suits were pending in courts over the royal tussle, contravened the rule of law.

He appealed to the House of Assembly to annul any action taken by the ‘politically’ appointed warrant chiefs, probe the deployment of soldiers in the town and call political gladiators working to impose an unqualified person as Onimesi to order.

“The only reason the kingmakers have not acted is because there are two suits against them in courts of competent jurisdictions in the state restraining them from further actions on the Onimesi royal stool selection process until the determination of the suits.

“Therefore, it will become ludicrous and disrespectful to the rule of law, if the kingmakers have acted otherwise. Inactivity of the kingmakers is a respect for the rule of law of the land.

“The suits: the Agunsoye Ruling House vs. Imesi Kingmakers with Suit No. HOM/64/2019 and the Agunsoye Ruling House vs. Ekiti State Government & Others with Suit No. HOM/121/2019 are still pending in courts. Therefore, we do not expect any lawful body to act on issues that are before the courts of law,” Fasunlade said.