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BACKGROUND
Following the demise of our esteemed and resilient monarch, His Royal
Highness, Oba Adeleye A. Awojobi, the Onikun of Ikun-Ekiti in late 2013, the
stool of the traditional ruler of Ikun-Ekiti became vacant, to be filled within the
statutory period of six months. Three princes from the Ilotin Ruling House
Mathew S. Aborisade, Omowumi J. Rotimi, and Olusola Olatunde originally
contested for this exalted position. The selection process, which is still ongoing,
has been a protracted, rancorous and sometimes a bitter one between the
supporters of the candidates. To substantiate this claim, the initial selection
process reportedly led to criminal charges of alleged certificate forgery against
one of the aspirants (see full article below). In addition, the selection process
reportedly led to a recent breakdown of law and order in Ikun-Ekiti, but no lives
were lost, to the glory of God.
THE ISSUES
On October 30, 2014, a YouTube video
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WwDu-teycI&feature=player_embedded)was
released by courtesy of Mr. Kayode Babatunde, to inform FIDUO members and
the general public about the proceedings of one of the Ifa consultations
reportedly used for the selection of the Onikun, held on July 30, 2014 in Ikun
Town Hall. The aim of the present author is to critically analyze this video in
light of current evidence, so that the general public can be better informed about
the ongoing Onikun selection process.
According to Irohinodua of September 8, 2014, posted by Mr. Adelua Ojo,
On three occasions, the Ifa oracle was said to have picked Prince Olatunde but
the communitys union alleged that Prince Rotimi gave huge sums of money to
some of Lhe klngmakers wlLh Lhe lnLenLlon of manlpulaLlng Lhe LradlLlonal
procedures of selecLlng Lhe Lown's Cba". 1he vldeo under revlew presenLs only
one accounL of Lhe selecLlon of rlnce 8oLlml by Lhe lfa oracle, whlle Lhe lfa
oracle reporLedly plcked rlnce ClaLunde Lhree Llmes. 1hls evldence ralses Lwo
fundamenLal lssues as deLalled below.
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llrsL, lf rlnce 8oLlml was selecLed once by Lhe lfa oracle and rlnce ClaLunde
was selecLed Lhree Llmes, whlch evldence ls more convlnclng and whlch one
should we belleve? 1hls ls food for LhoughL! Second, on Lhe accounL of our oral
LradlLlon, Lhe ouLcome of lfa oracle dlvlnaLlon ls consldered an lnfalllble LruLh
abouL Lhe pasL, presenL and fuLure. Clven Lhls, Lhe facL LhaL Lhe lfa oracle
selecLed rlnce 8oLlml once and rlnce ClaLunde Lhree Llmes for Lhe same
poslLlon of Cnlkun, ralses serlous doubL abouL Lhe veraclLy and credlblllLy of
elLher Lhe lfa oracle lLself, Lhe lfa rlesL, or boLh.
CCnCLuSlCn

Given the credibility issues raised in the foregoing analysis, the overall selection
process captured by the video under review must be treated with extreme
caution. This might partially explain why FIDUO aligned itself with all well-
meaning sons and daughters of Ikun-Ekiti to advocate the cancellation of the
initial Onikun selection process, so that Ikun people could start well and end
well.
The contradictory outcome of the Ifa oracle consultations reported in this paper
has one major implication for the future selection of Onikun. It behoves Ikun
people to adopt a blend of objective, merit-based criteria and spiritual guidance
from the Almighty God to inform the current and future selection processes.
Let me conclude in the words of Georges Braque that 1ruLh exlsLs, only
falsehood has Lo be lnvenLed." 1he LruLh ls LhaL Lhe lfa oracle ls LradlLlonally
Lhe prlmary source of esLabllshlng LruLh ln Lhe Cnlkun selecLlon process. 8uL
Lhe conLradlcLory ouLcome of Lhe lfa oracle consulLaLlons seems Lo suggesL
lnvenLed falsehood."
8LlL8LnCLS
1. 8abaLunde, k. (2014). vldeo of lfa ConsulLaLlon of Cnlkun SelecLlon.
8eLrleved on CcLober 31, 2014 from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WwDu-
teycI&feature=player_embedded

2. C[o, A. (2014). lrohlnodua! We don'L wanL 419 as Cba, LklLl communlLy
Lells courL. SepLember 8, 2014.

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We don'L wanL 419 as Cba, LklLl communlLy Lells courL
osLed by lrohlnodua ! SepLember 8, 2014 ! Leave a commenL
8y Adelua C[o
Locals ln lkun-LklLl, an anclenL communlLy locaLed ln Moba Local CovernmenL
on Lhe norLhern frlnge, has asked a MaglsLraLe CourL Lo sLop Lhe asplraLlon of
one Cmowuml !ames 8oLlml from seeklng Lhe exalLed poslLlon of Lhe Cba of
Lhe agelong Lown. 1he LradlLlonal ruler of lkun LklLl had passed on lasL year,
leavlng Lhe sLool vacanL.
ln an affldavlL averred Lo aL Lhe MaglsLraLe CourL 2 ln Ado-LklLl laLe lasL week,
Lhe lederaLlon of lkun-LklLl uevelopmenL unlon, (lLuu) alleged LhaL rlnce
!ames 8oLlml had forged all Lhe cerLlflcaLes he presenLed Lo Lhe klng makers ln
Lhe anclenL own and LhaL he ls a noLorlous fraudsLer whose maln source of
lncome ls Advanced lee lraud, (419). 1he communlLy clalm LhaL any aLLempL
Lo presenL Lhe candldaLe wlll undermlne Lhe agelong values of Lhe Lown and
LhaL hls selecLlon wlll upseL Lhe cosmlc order ln lkun-LklLl.
1he unlon accused rlnce 8oLlml of havlng problems wlLh Lhe naLlonal
LducaLlon Councll, (nLC0) resulL he presenLed whlch he clalmed Lo have
obLalned from one Akewushola College, Amoyo, llorln and LhaL he made false
clalms LhaL he obLalned a unlverslLy of Ado LklLl flrsL degree ln AdulL LducaLlon
ln 2007.
1he lLuu whlch ls an umbrella body of lkun lndlgenes aL home and abroad had
pegged Lhe leasL quallflcaLlon of any asplranL lnLo Lhe lmporLanL LradlLlonal
sLool aL a mlnlmum of unlverslLy degree so as Lo ensure Lhe new Cba meeLs
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global expecLaLlons. 1he unlon sald LhaL Mr 8oLlml had made confesslons aL
Lhe SLaLe lnLelllgence 8ureau ollce PeadquarLers LhaL he has only a school
cerLlflcaLe buL LhaL he flouLed Lhls poslLlon when he presenLed a fake
unlverslLy degree Lo Lhe klng makers ln lkun-LklLl.

Cur correspondenL heard LhaL over 93 percenL of young people and 38 ouL of
Lhe 42 klngmakers ln lkun LklLl supporL Lhe candldaLure of 8oLlml's arch rlval,
rlnce Clusola ClaLunde of Lhe lloLln 8oyal lamlly. rlnce ClaLunde holds a flrsL
degree from Lhe Cbafeml Awolowo unlverslLy, (CAu-1991) and laLer bagged a
MasLers degree from Lhe Lagos SLaLe unlverslLy, (LASu) Pe ls a noLable human
rlghLs acLlvlsLs who had varlously worked wlLh Lhe laLe Chlef Canl lawehlml
and ur 8eko 8ansome kuLl. Pe also had a sLlnL aL Lhe WesL Afrlcan 8ar
AssoclaLlon, (WA8A) and he ls sald Lo be one of Lhe foundlng members of Lhe
ro-naLlonal Conference CrganlsaLlons, (8CnACC). Pe currenLly works as a
Senlor Speclal AsslsLanL, (SSA) Lo Lhe Covernor of Lhe SLaLe of Csun, Cgbenl
8auf Aregbesola. Cn Lhree occaslons, Lhe lfa oracle was sald Lo have plcked
rlnce ClaLunde buL Lhe communlLy's unlon alleged LhaL rlnce 8oLlml gave
huge sums of money Lo some of Lhe klngmakers wlLh Lhe lnLenLlon of
manlpulaLlng Lhe LradlLlonal procedures of selecLlng Lhe Lown's Cba.
Meanwhlle, Lhe MaglsLraLe courL 2 ln Ado-LklLl, preslded over by !usLlce !.
Ayenlmo has granLed ball Lo Mr 8oLlml wlLh a sureLy of n200,000 and a landed
properLy ln Ado-LklLl. 1he communlLy leaders had earller caused rlnce
8oLlmln Lo be arresLed, Laken Lo Lhe pollce sLaLlon from where hls prosecuLlon
began.