The Ekiti State Government has ruled out voting in the selection of a new Alara of Aramoko Ekiti, directing kingmakers to adopt Ifa consultation as the final process for producing the next first-class traditional ruler.
The directive was issued on Thursday by the Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, during a meeting with kingmakers and stakeholders from Aramoko Ekiti in Ekiti West Local Government Area over the ongoing succession process.
Afuye said Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration would not support voting among kingmakers, describing it as susceptible to bribery, manipulation and other practices capable of undermining the integrity of the traditional institution.
According to her, the government has no preferred candidate and is committed to ensuring that the selection process strictly follows tradition and the provisions of the law.
“The governor has directed that the selection process should be concluded through Ifa divination under a properly moderated atmosphere. There will be no voting after the Ifa consultation because someone will emerge through the traditional process,” she said.
She stressed that Ifa consultation remains the most respected and time-tested method of selecting Yoruba monarchs, urging stakeholders to avoid actions capable of creating disunity or discrediting the traditional institution.
The Alara stool became vacant following the death of Oba Olu Adeyemi of the Arakale Ruling House on August 9, 2025.
The succession process had earlier produced three finalists—Prince Femi Akinlabi, Prince Adewumi Adetoyinbo and Prince Tope Ademiluyi—from the Olokun Ruling House through Ifa divination after eight contestants initially sought the throne. However, the process ran into a stalemate after the 12 kingmakers voted, with Prince Tope Ademiluyi and Prince Femi Akinlabi securing six votes each, prompting government intervention.
Afuye appealed to residents and interested parties to refrain from inflammatory comments on traditional and social media platforms, assuring them that the government would neither impose a candidate nor compromise the process.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Home Affairs, Hon. Ojo Atibioke, dismissed claims that the state government had a vested interest in the selection, insisting that choosing a new Alara remains the exclusive responsibility of the kingmakers.
He maintained that Governor Oyebanji’s administration had consistently conducted transparent and credible traditional ruler selection processes across the state, noting that previous installations had withstood legal scrutiny because they followed due process.
Atibioke warned against using social media to malign the government, saying such actions would not influence the selection process.
A kingmaker and Asao of Aramoko Ekiti, Chief Diran Adebayo, commended the government for adhering to the town’s customs and traditions and pledged the community’s support for the renewed Ifa consultation.
Similarly, the Chairman of Ekiti West Local Government Area, Hon. Moses Omojola, urged members of the Olokun Royal Dynasty to remain united and avoid a recurrence of the divisions that characterised the emergence of the late Oba Olu Adeyemi.
