Chaos erupted in Ikirun, Osun State on Sunday, 21 November, 2021 over what the people of the town described as fraudelent selection process in picking the next person to assume the stool of Akinrun of Ikirun, the headquarters of Ifelodun Local Government.
Commercial activities were distrupted as vehicular movement came to a halt for more than six hours.
Indegines of the ancient town took to the street to protest an alleged imposition of an unknown candidate on the people against their will and wishes.
The protesters said the imposition of the candidate, one Prince Yunusa Akadiri, was masterminded by a serving commissioner in Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s cabinet.
The Commissioner, in connivance with the Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government, the member representing Ifelodun Local Government in the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Mulikat Abiola; and a local politician, Mr. Moshood Oluawo, were said to have whisked six out of the seven kingmakers to an unknown place for a meeting.
At the meeting, it was gathered that the principal actors told the kingmakers that Governor Oyetola directed them to meet the kingmakers and informed them of candidate the Governor was intersted in.
After armtwisting the kingmakers, the Commissioner reported gave each of them N2.5 million as a gift from the Governor as gratification for supporting the Governor’s candidate.
Investigations revealed that after the meeting at an unknown destination on Thursday, 18 November, 2021, the following day, Friday, 19 November, 2021, the Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government told the head of the family (Magaji) to invite the contestants from the Obaara Ruling House to an emergency meeting.
He was also said to have invited the seven kingmakers as well as the Chief Imam of the town and the Christain Association of Nigeria (CAN) Chairman to the said meeting.
On getting to the meeting, which was also attended by the preferred contestant by the people of Ikirun, Prince Dr. Ismail Lasunkanmi Adeyemi, the Ifelodun Local Government Chairman, informed all present that the purpose of the meeting was to conduct an election to select the next Akinrun.
People in attendance, including the head of Akinrun-in-Council, Chief Eesa of Ikirun, were miffed when they heard the purpose of the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Chairman reportedly quickly conducted the election with the six kingmakers, who were already bribed, voting for Prince Yunusa Akadir, the so-called government-backed candidate and only Chief Eessa voted for the town-backed candidate.
Checks also revealed that after the kangaroo voting, the masterminders, fearing a backlash, quickly whisked away the six kingmakers and as at the time of filling this report, their whereabouts are still unknown.
A high chief in the town, who crave anonymity, said the kingmakers dissappointed their people by allowing themselves to be used by politicians who have no interest of the people at heart.
“The process is a fraud in itself. The people who are behind it are enemies of the people. Their main interest is to put a stooge on the throne for them to be able to manipulate anytime they want.
“The supposed government candidate is a secondary school dropout. Ikirun is too shopisticated to have such as a character as its Oba. Those who wanted to foist this person on the town are interested in a pliant character, a rubberstamp, who will be saying yes sir to them when they install him. The people of Ikirun will not accept such aberration. Never!,” the high chief said.
The people of the town have vowed to resist imposition of a candidate by the government or government proxies, saying they are ready to take up the battle with those individuals, who have by this disdainful act demonstrated that they do not have the interest of the town, its people and its development at heart.
The Osun State Government has yet to respond as the crisis continues to rock the town.
