The regent head of Ijebu Ode and the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland, Olorogun Sonny Kuku, has reiterated that the kingmakers will ensure that the process, when resumed, will be peaceful and end without rancour.

Kuku was speaking against the backdrop of the government’s decision to stop the nomination process of over 90 aspirants contesting for the vacant position of the Awujale stool.
He debunked insinuations suggesting any inference of government interference, stressing that the state government is interested in ensuring a peaceful outcome.
“The kingmakers cannot say much at this time because we have a very onerous task. We are confident that the government is also interested in ensuring a peaceful outcome. We are consulting with them, and we believe that something will happen soon,” he said.

“Regarding reports from the grapevine suggesting government interference, we are unable to comment on that. The government does not sit with the kingmakers during deliberations. We do not work with them directly, and as you know, in situations like this, there are always many rumours. We try to separate fact from speculation. If any form of imposition occurs, we will certainly let the public know, because we will not tolerate that. However, that has not happened.

“On getting to the palace, it was barricaded by the police and other security agencies. That is not an attempt to influence the process. The process has been halted, which is why we are meeting with the government to understand why and how the issue can be resolved quickly.”
The regent added that the palace is a symbol of the people, and by barricading it, the authorities are making it clear that the process is temporarily in abeyance.

He said, “There is no physical or emotional conflict taking place. We hope the palace will be reopened very soon because we want to avoid any anxiety among the people. Our goal is peace.
“As you know, the process has already started and the families have submitted names—between 86 and 95 in total. However, not all the applications are complete, so only about 86 are valid. The kingmakers have begun their work, and once they do, everything happens within that enclave. We are careful not to say anything that could bias the situation.

“Today, we received a message from the government indicating that the process has been temporarily halted. At the moment, we do not know the reason for this, but we are in contact with them to understand the situation. We will do our best to ensure that the process resumes because the generals are waiting.”
On the government saying that it received a flood of petitions from stakeholders and security agencies, Olorogun noted that if such petitions exist, they should be forwarded to the kingmakers, so as to be in the know.
He added, “But we have not received any. That is why we are consulting with them. Once discussions are concluded, we will make a statement as quickly as possible. There is nothing to worry about.

“As kingmakers, we are handling a very delicate responsibility. Our decisions can affect the lives of the people for centuries to come, so we are being extremely careful about what we do and say. We assure you that we will ensure peace and that the best person emerges.

“When situations like this arise, there are allegations that the kingmakers have been compromised or are favouring a particular candidate. Let me be clear: we have not slept for five days. We are dealing with about 95 applications and over 1,200 documents, scrutinising them meticulously. We are working diligently to ensure we select the best possible candidate. If we were biased, we would not be spending sleepless nights reviewing documents so thoroughly.

“We had planned to continue this process for several more days, and we are prepared for more sleepless nights. The criteria we have developed are meant to produce a leader who truly represents the people and will bring progress to the community.”