Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti

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The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Mrs Monisade Afuye, has condemned the  alleged attempts by some aggrieved individuals in Odo-Ora Ekiti, Ido/ Osi Local Government Area, to dethrone the community’s traditional ruler and Obalemo, Oba Samuel Akinola Adeyemo.

The government also denied a publication credited to one Chief Jide Ajewole, who holds the traditional title of Oloja Odo, to the effect that the state Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, directed a peace meeting outside the palace to decide the monarch’s fate on the deposition threat.

The Deputy Governor made the clarification on Wednesday, while mediating in the crisis between Oba Adeyemo and a group of elites, where she denied a publication, claiming that she ordered the holding of a meeting outside the palace in the community.

The peace parley was convened by Mrs Afuye to hear the petition written by Oba Adeyemo against Chief Ajewole, the second in command in chieftaincy hierarchy and some elites, who were allegedly fueling crisis and plotting to depose him.

In the petition, Obalemo alleged the Chief of dereliction of duties, insubordination, harassment, forming factional government and stoking crisis by inciting the elites and youth against the traditional authority, among others.

Mrs Afuye, in a statement by her media aide, Victor Ogunje, stressed that at no time did she take any action, either personally or by proxy to suggest that she was backing the proponents of dethronement of the monarch in the town. 

She posited that the government of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, holds the traditional rulers in high regards and will not exhibit any action to demean  their status.

“Let me also tell you that you have no power to remove the monarch. Only the government can do that,’’she stated.

The Deputy Governor, therefore, charged the elites in the town, led by the former Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, Prof. Olawuni Ajaja, to rally support for the monarch and resolve all the crisis in the community, rather than taking sides.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor, has directed the monarch to pay all the outstanding allowances of the embattled Chief, so as to end  the lingering row.

In his submission, Chief Ajewole denied all the accusations, saying he was opposing the king on the premise of alleged intention to downgrade him to number three in the chieftaincy hierarchical order of the town.

He also denied issuance of any statement, where he claimed that the Ekiti State Deputy Governor ordered the holding of a meeting to decide the monarch’s fate, describing it as ‘handiwork of evil doers’.

Commending the government, the monarch, said the clarifications and intervention will fast track speedy resolution of the tussle , adding that all the suggestions propounded by the Deputy Governor for expeditious resolution of the matter shall be considered in due course.