Just In! Govt Places Monarch on Probation in Ekiti
By Gbenga Sodeinde, in Ado Ekiti
The Ekiti State Government has placed the Elepe of Epe Ekiti, Oba Williams Adesoye, on probation and under official watch following sustained agitation by residents over allegations of unruly conduct and high-handedness.
The decision was reached on Friday during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened to douse tensions between the embattled monarch and his subjects. The meeting was held at the palace of the Ajero of Ijero Ekiti, Oba Joseph Adebayo Adewole, and was led by the Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye.
Oba Adesoye has been locked in a prolonged dispute with community elites and youths, a situation that reportedly led to his eviction from the palace amid calls for his outright deposition over alleged tyranny and disrespect for tradition.
Addressing stakeholders, Mrs Afuye, in a statement issued by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, appealed to the aggrieved youths and elites to sheath their swords and give peace a chance, stressing that Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration prioritises harmony and development.
“What the government wants is peace and nothing but peace. A crisis-ridden community cannot make progress. The larger picture is the development of Epe Ekiti and Ijero Local Government as a whole,” she said.
She reminded the community of ongoing government projects in the area, including road construction, warning that persistent unrest could stall development.
Announcing the resolutions reached after a closed-door session, the Ajero of Ijero Ekiti declared that Oba Adesoye would remain barred from entering the palace pending the final resolution of the matter.
According to Oba Adewole, the embattled monarch would be placed on probation, required to sign an undertaking to be of good conduct, and subjected to internal monitoring mechanisms to ensure compliance.
“During this probation period, the government, the traditional institution and the community will be watching him closely. We pray he reforms so that his subjects can reconsider their position,” the Ajero said.
He cautioned the youths against taking the law into their hands, stressing that the removal of a traditional ruler follows due process.Oba Adewole explained that a monarch could only be removed through death, proven insubordination, or a court order, noting that the power to depose a king rests with the government and the judiciary, not with aggrieved individuals or groups.
The Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Home Affairs, Hon. Ojo Atibioke, also warned the community against actions capable of triggering unrest, noting that Ekiti State has over 140 component towns whose peace must be jealously guarded.
“A crisis in one community can easily spread and escalate beyond control,” he warned, adding that instability could undermine ongoing development projects.
Speaking on behalf of the community, the National Chairman of the Epe Progressive Union, Prince Adebowale Alabi, said residents were opposed not to the institution of monarchy but to what he described as the monarch’s authoritarian and disrespectful conduct, which he said violated the customs and traditions of Epe Ekiti.
He commended the state government and the Ajero for their timely intervention, adding that placing the monarch on probation and watchlist was a necessary step toward restoring order and respect.
Dignitaries at the meeting included the Chairman of Ijero Local Government, Chief Abayomi Folowosele; traditional rulers; Permanent Secretary, Office of the Deputy Governor, Mr. Leke Adefolaju; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Chieftaincy and Home Affairs, Barr. Clement Ayoola; and other community leaders.