Alaafin of Oyo, Lamidi Adeyemi, has weighed in on the imbroglio between the traditional institution and political establishment in Ekiti state with the quintessential monarch asking governor of the state to be cautious of the way he handles of the leadership impasse rocking the state traditional council.
LagosTimes reports that trouble began when Fayemi appointed Ajibade Alabi, alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, as chairman of the state traditional rulers council.
This did not go down well with the first-class monarchs who became disgruntled at what they felt was utter disrespect to them for the governor to appoint a subordinate king to lead them.
Consequently, the monarch institute a litigation to determine the legality of such appointment and also shunned state functions and monthly meetings of the state council of traditional rulers.
In light of their behaviour and posturing, the governor served the 11 first-class traditional rulers query over alleged non-cooperation with government and leadership of the traditional council.
However, in a letter dated March 12, alaafin warned the governor to ‘tread softly’, imploring him not to treat the traditional institution with contempt and levity.
Alaafin also described the development in Ekiti as a sad one.
The letter read “Let me start by saying that the sacrosanct of the Pelupelu that grades the sixteen crowned obas in Ekiti land is not in doubt. Suffice to say Your Excellency that in any human society and more so in Yoruba Land, order of hierarchy and seniority are of vital consideration in position placement,” the alaafin said.
“From time immemorial, Obaship leadership in Ekiti Land had been within the sixteen Obas without any dispute or quarrel among them and indeed to the admiration of other Yoruba kingdoms.
“It was therefore with total displeasure and indeed total discomfort that we learnt of Your Excellency’s neglect of the hierarchical order by appointing a subordinate Oba as the Chairman of the Council of Obas and Chiefs in the State over and above the recognized order.
“It is in this note that I along with my fellow Traditional Rulers across Yoruba Land feel very sad that Your Excellency issued a query to the sixteen Ekiti Crowned respected Traditional Rulers of high esteem in Yoruba Land for not bowing their heads to their subordinate by not attending the council meeting under their subordinate. That exercise and without mincing words is to say the least sub judice.
“It is on this basis that we will advise against any attempt to treat traditional institution in Yoruba Land with levity and to avoid any attempt of importing any subculture of traditional degradation into Yoruba Land. Your Excellency as one of the beneficiaries of the legacy bequeathed by these Kings of Yoruba history is now embarking on an exercise that will rubbish the contributions of your ancestors.
“Finally, as fathers, we should like to advise Your Excellency to tread softly any relationship with traditional institution in the name of Oduduwa and our other ancestors in Yoruba Land. Let us employ diplomacy to settle this issue. We have the mechanism of conflict resolution in ways of our ancestors.”
The disagreement with Ekiti monarchs comes after Abdullahi Ganduje, Fayemi’s counterpart in Kano, dethroned Muhammadu Sanusi as emir.
Ganduje’s action ignited widespread criticisms.