The Ifon Kingmakers Council has commiserated with Gov. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State on the demise of the former Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu SAN, while appealing to the state government to allow transparency and fairness take their due course in the selection of the next Olufon of Ifon.
The Secretary of the Council, Chief Peter Falowo, the Ogwayemuwa of Ifon, made the appeal at a press conference held at the Ifon town hall on Thursday, 4th of January, 2024.
Falowo stated that the Governor should not concede to anybody’s move to lure him into illegality in choosing the next king for the community.
He alleged that one Prince Adelanke Adetoye Odogiyon had been parading himself as the Olufon-elect contrary to his rejection by the majority of Ifon kingmakers.
“It will be recalled that on the 13th of March 2022, the Ifon kingmakers were called upon to consider the nomination of Prince Adelanke Adetoyese Odigiyon, who was the sole candidate of the Umuagba ruling house that the Ondo State Government had earlier written to nominate a candidate or candidates for the Olufon vacant stool.
“ At the end of the exercise and in line with the custom and tradition of Ifon town, the nomination of Prince Adelanke Adetoyese Odogiyon was overwhelmingly rejected by 10 out of 13 kingmakers.
“ We wasted no time in making our position on the matter known to the state government through a letter. We were left with with no other nominee from the Umuagba family that could be further assessed by us as we were restricted to the assessment of a sole candidate that had no alternative from the Umuagba ruling house.
“ Just recently, the rejected had been going around the community boasting that the new inaugurated Governor will announce him as the Olufon-elect without proper selection process. On this note, we want to appeal to our Governor never to allow any desperate individual lure him into some illegal activities that are alien to the custom and tradition of Ifon town,” he stated.
According to him, Ifon obaship matter is a sensitive one that has to be handled with caution so that the community will not be thrown into some avoidable crises due to any noticeable foul play in the selection process.
He added that the rejection of the sole candidate by the kingmakers was an act that was irreversible based on the customs and tradition of the ancient town.
The secretary said that the kingmakers were waiting patiently for the state government’s directives on the next line of action “as we are determined to get the Olufon vacant stool filled without delay.”
Also speaking, Chief Ayodele Ogunmola, one of the kingmakers, asked the Governor to allow the rule of law that governed the customs and traditions of the town to be effected.
Ogunmola said that the Aiyedatiwa-led government should disallow any attempt to impose a king on the community which he said could cause serios crisis.
In his words, Chief Temidayo Adigun, a kingmaker, said that the Aiyedatiwa government should caution those that were boasting of using government instruments to influence the nomination of the next Olufon, saying that customs and traditions were supreme.
Similarly, the traditional head of the Ifon kingmakers, Chief Abiodun Adesida Arawa and another kingmaker, Chief Taiwo James Ekundayo Ayagboye said that the state government should give approval for the selection process of the next Olufon for the development of the community.
“ We are living as if we are not part of Ondo State just because we don’t have an Oba and the way our late Oba was murdered in cold blood has never happened to any monarch in the South-West. We expect the state government to do the needful as soon as possible. Three years after the unfortunate incident, we are still living without an Oba in our community.
“So, we are appealing to the state government to support us in making sure we get the suitable king for this community under the rule of law,” he said.
Reacting in telephone call. Prince Adelanke Adetoyese Odogiyon responded that it’s a good thing for the Kingmakers to have made an appeal because it have be long we are out of Oba in Ifon.
“The ball in there court. The government have written to the Omaugba rulling house to present a Candidate.
“And the Omaugba rulling house have met over one and half years Ago and picked me as a candidate.
“If people are asking for a King and are ready, we have done our part.
“The government have not chosen me, it’s my family who have chosen me .
