The struggle to fill the vacant stool of the Onipokia of Ipokia, a town in the Ogun west senatorial district of Ogun state, reached it head on Wednesday 8th May 2019, as King making process was truncated over an alleged bribery scandal.
Report says five kingmakers were billed to vote-in one of the 8 eligible candidates for the stool but rumors of the alleged demand and payment of bribery began to rock the process since it started on the 1st of May 2019.
Credible sources confirmed that Ogun State government through the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs was duely informed about the malefaecance but failed to act swiftly.
However, when the stake of the alleged bribery was raised from N2million naira to N10million and the noise became deafening, the ministry reportedly ordered that the voting process earlier scheculed to take place on Wednesday May 8,be put on hold while proper Investigation is carried out into the allegedly ‘compromised’ voting process for the next Oba of the ancient town which recently had the Ogun state Polytechnic moved to the town.
But, contrary to the order of the State Government, the voting took place without the supervision of the government and a US based candidate got all the 5 votes.
Meanwhile, various Interest group especially some of the aggrieved candidates are now ‘heading’ to Court while some may have petitioned the State Government to dismiss the voting process as Illegal, not properly constituted and unsupervised, therefore null and void.
Oba Rauf Adeole ,the past traditional ruler joined his ancestors on the 13th of November 2016.
He was installed at an elaborate ceremony in 1986.
There are four ruling houses in Ipokia comprising Iwaye Sipaola, Iwaye Dodo, Iwaye Ikemo and Iwaye Dapaale……
Other ruling houses conscede to Iwaye Dodo whose candidates are Abdul Semiu Adedokun Adisa Ashade, Ganiyu Adelani Ashade, Abdulahi Adediran Ashade. Others are Yisa Sola Adeniyi Ashade, Abiodun Sunday Adediga, Akeem Dahunsi Oyelegbin, Emanuel Kayode Okeleye and Mikhail Adetokunbo Adelabu Akinlade.
One major grievance,according to one of the candidates is that “according to the 1954 Chieftaincy declaration, ‘where there exist male-child in the ruling house, the first preference goes to him’. But in this case, there are four male-child choices and living in Nigeria but the female-child living abroad was prefered, we want to know the rationale behind that”.
When contacted on the issue, the state commissioner for chieftaincy matters, Chief Jide Ojuko refused to pick his call or reply as at the time of filling this report.
