In what appears to be a yet to be resolved puzzle spanning four years, one of the prominent stools in Yorubaland, the ancient stool of the Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ile have remained vacant since the demise of the late Onikoyi, His Majesty, Oba Abdulyekeen Oladipupo IV on the 7th of April, 2022. Ikoyi-Ile is the administrative and political headquarters of Oriire Local Government in Oyo State. The local government was carved out of the Old Oyo Local Government which then included Awe, Fiditi, Jobele, Ilora, Akinmorin and Oyo town in 1989.
It is important to note that Ikoyi-Ile, the now sleepy ancient agrarian town of great warriors have never experienced such a long interregnum in the enthronement of a new Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ile. This delay have had serious impact on the development in the town and surrounding villages.
Conversations around towns and communities across Ikoyiland and the entire kingdom have centred around the inability of the Oyo State Government to decide on who becomes the next Onikoyi amongs the contending parties. About 16 individuals have expressed interest in ascending the throne.
Some have even argued that if the Oyo State Government was able to diligently resolve the stalemate of a much contentious throne like that of the Alaafin, which we all knew will be a difficult task in record time, it is strange that it has been aloof and foot dragging on filling the Onikoyi Stool over the past four years.
The Onikoyi stool has remained vacant for precisely four years while the contest for the next Onikoyi have been stalled by forces outside the town. Investigations reveal that there are several entities trying to manipulate the entire selection process against the tradition of the town and this has put the appointment on hold.
While the selection process of a new Onikoyi have remained stalled, few of the past warrant chiefs constituting the Kingmakers have also died within this period.
Several attempts to speak with the place holder for the Onikoyi and the traditional head of the Ikoyi-Ile Kingmakers, who is also the Balogun of Ikoyi-Ile, Chief Sunday Adesina were unsuccessful as he declined commenting on the matter and referred the issue to the Oyo State Governor. He said in the absence of an officially gazetted chieftaincy declaration for the Onikoyi Chieftaincy stool, it is the Executive Governor of Oyo State that will determine and appoint the next Onikoyi from amongs the contenders who are bonafide Ikoyi Princes with verifiable roots in the main ruling houses in Ikoyi-Ile.
As the town enters it’s fifth year without a King, one can only hope that the Governor of Oyo State will not abandon this ancient throne and town to become another relic of history.
