Peace has returned to Ago-Are community in the Atisbo Local Government Area of Oyo State, after weeks of protests by youths and other interest groups over a chieftaincy dispute.
The crisis started following the approach adopted by the town’s kingmakers, to choose a new king after the demise of Aare of Ago-Are, Oba Jubril Oyesiji Oladoke, who reigned for about 39 years.
Barely a month after the ruler’s demise, a family meeting of the next ruling house, known as Edu, was convened, where 15 candidates came out to contest for the vacant stool.
Names of interested candidates were later presented to the community’s kingmakers for thorough screening through Ifa divination and in line with the town’s age-long customs and tradition.
It was gathered that rather than allowing the usual process of selecting a new monarch, the kingmakers opted for orthodox religious method.
The community has eight kingmakers through a declaration made under Section 4(2) of the Chiefs Law of 1957.
Two of the kingmakers had died; remaining six.
Four of the kingmakers, who are Christians, voted for a Christian. The remaining two, who are Muslims, voted for a Muslim candidate.
A Christian candidate emerged victorious through the strange selection process.
The approach of the kingmakers elicited anger and uproar from cross-section of indigenes, including the remaining 14 candidates, who contested for the throne.
Also, five princes from the same ruling house complained about what they referred to as “unlawful exclusion of their vested rights’’.
They denied any knowledge about the steps taken by both the ruling house and the kingmakers to select a new monarch and noted that such steps were not make public as required by the law.
But, at peace meeting of the ruling house, a resolution for an outright cancellation of the nomination and selection of candidates by the kingmakers for the vacant stool was passed.
The resolution was contained in a joint letter by chairman and secretary of Edu Ruling House, Princes Olalekan Olaniyonu and Salam Kazeem.
It said the resolution became necessary following observations by the community that the kingmakers did not follow the due process laid down in Ago-Are’s tradition and customs for the selection of candidate for the vacant stool.
The letter reads in parts: ‘’Not only had this led to rancour in the community and dispute among candidates that were nominated, failure to follow the due process in selecting the new Are of Ago-Are, which had been our pride, the community is being seriously threatened.
“It is also a dangerous precedent that must be stopped immediately in order to retain oneness, love and unity of our family and the entire community.’’
The letter was addressed to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Alaafin of Oyo, Permanent Chairman, State Council of Obas and Chiefs, Permanent Secretaries, Ministries of Justice, Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Head of Administration, Atisbo Local Government, as well as chairman, community’s kingmakers, Chief Kehinde Adetoro.
