Ondo Community Gets New Monarch After Six Years

Chief Olusegun Victor Aganun has finally been announced as the new Olupele of Ipele.

He was announced on Thursday following the conclusion of the selection process.

Ipele is a town located in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State and has been without a monarch for Six years.

It would be recalled that on August 2021, confusion set in among the indigenes and residents of Ipele Community in Owo over selection of a new monarch for the town.

The development then, polarised stakeholders in the process of selection of a new king as they were reportedly engaging in claims and counter claims on who should constitute the kingmakers.

Some youths had reportedly embarked on a protest, calling on the state government to order a process for the selection of a new king within the shortest time.

However, another section of the stakeholders including youths had said the process should be put on hold pending the determination of two suits, on the eligibility of some acclaimed kingmakers.

The youths of the community, then, cautioned the state government to allow the court to determine the two pending suits before the selection process of the new monarch is done.

The youths under the auspices of Ipele Youth Progressive Movement, gave the advice in a statement addressed to the Ondo State Governor, Oluwatotimi Akeredolu and signed by the duo of Bola Orisadare and Segun Osuntuyi, the President and Secretary of the youth organisation respectively.

ALSO READ Strike Looms As Correctional Service Workers Rumoured To Down Tools

The action of the youths, came just as legal practitioner from Rex Advocate, Tajudeen Ahmed, in a letter addressed Akeredolu, on the same Obaship tussle of Olupele stool, cautioned the state government against allowing the selection process to take place while two suits are pending in courts on the matter.

Specifically, the solicitor to Messrs Abdul Hardy Balogun and Anors Vs Chief Olubamito Ajikara and 4 others (Suit HOW/14/2021) and Abdul Hardy Balogun and Anors Vs Chief Sanni Raji Olujase and 5 others (HOW/20/2021), quoted the two suits on the selection of Olupele.

According to him, the suits showed that three of the Ipele kingmakers, are not entitled to be installed as kingmakers of their respective quarters they are claiming to head by virtue of which they are claiming to be kingmakers in Ipele.

He said, “Since the eligibility of the trio is already subjudice, they cannot legitimately take part in the process of selection of next Olupele until the determination of the case in tandem with a plethora of judicial authorities.

“We humbly request that you direct that the affected acclaimed Ipele Kingmakers i.e Chief Sanni Olujase, Chief Adewunmi Abitoye and Chief lubamito Ajikara, should not be allowed to exercise the rights of kingmakers in the selection of next Olupele of Ipele alternatively, the selection process be stopped pending the determination of two pending issues.”