...Allegations baseless, spurious – APC chairman
From Priscilla Ofunre, Ado-Ekiti
The leaders and indigenes of Imesi-Ekiti, Gbonyin Local Government Area of Ekiti State, have accused the state chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Paul Omotosho of complicity in the obaship tussle in the community.
The town alleged that, Omotosho, an indigene of the town, had wanted his preferred candidate, who is a member of the ruling party to occupy the vacant stool.
They made the allegations on Sunday in a statement co-signed by and made available to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti by the head, Agunsoye ruling house, Prince Adu Fasunlade and secretary, Prince Sesan Aladesanmi.
They stressed that Omotosho was using his influence in government to sabotage the selection processes, noting that the efforts of the kingmakers to install new monarch were being frustrated by his ‘antics’.
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They accused the APC chairman of working in cahoots with some top hierarchy of the APC-led government to impose his anointed candidate on the Agunsoye ruling house against the family’s preferred choice.
“It is quite ironic that a political appointee of Governor Kayode Fayemi, who had publicly vowed not to get involved in or support subversion of time-tested traditional process, has been functioning in this manner.
“Omotosho has been excercising high level of undue political influence to thwart the traditional process of the new Onimesi’s selection and installation. His known goal is to force his preferred candidate, a member of the APC on the Agunsoye family and Imesi-Ekiti community at large.
“And we are disappointed that the Imesi kingmakers, with a full formed quorum, have neither met with nor interviewed a single candidate on the list of ifa oracle profiled and verified candidates forwarded to them. This delay is not unrelated to the politicization of the selection and installation process.
“Hence, the Agunsoye ruling house in Imesi-Ekiti has no choice other than seek redress in the court of law against the Imesi kingmakers and the rule of law must be observed by all parties including the state government”, they said.
The royal house, however, appealled to Governor Fayemi to caution Omotosho and his accomplices in government to allow peace to reign and ensure due process prevails in arriving at the choice of the new monarch.
Reacting to the allegations, Omotosho who is also the special adviser on political matter to Governor Fayemi, said, the claims were mere fabrications and cheap blackmails that lackrd content of validity.
The APC chairman warned against mischief makers to stop spreading falsehood capable of disrupting the peaceful ambience in the community.
Omotosho said he could not indulge in any process that would truncate the enthronement of a new monarch, noting neither he nor Governor has interest in who becomes the king.
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“There is no iota of truth in all the allegations. I think for Imesi-Ekiti to have a new king doesn’t have anything to do with party politics and government.
“Whoever that becomes the king is my own person. All that is important to us is the development and progress of our community. Nobody is actually influencing and I am not interested in who becomes the king.
“The fact that I am the chairman of APC in Ekiti doesn’t say I would unduly influence the enthronement of a new monarch. All I am interested is for Imesi-Ekiti to witness unprecedented development and stability”, he added.