By Ayodele Abere
A former Ekiti State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Gboyega Oyewole, SAN, has raised concerns over the reported decision of the Ekiti State Government to adopt Ifa divination as the sole method for selecting the new Alara of Aramoko-Ekiti.
Oyewole, who also holds the traditional title of Balogun of Aramoko-Ekiti, made the position known in a letter dated July 21, 2026, addressed to the Ekiti State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and made available to the press.
In the letter, the Senior Advocate stated that it had come to his attention that the State Government had announced that only the Ifa divination process would be employed in the selection of the new monarch.
He noted that the position was also confirmed by Kingmakers who attended a meeting with the Deputy Governor, who oversees chieftaincy matters in the state.
Oyewole said he was constrained to intervene not only as an indigene and Balogun of Aramoko-Ekiti, but also as a former Attorney General of the state between 2006 and 2010, and as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
“My intervention is borne out of a duty to ensure that proper things are done in accordance with existing laws, regulations, and the customs of our people,” he stated.
The legal luminary argued that the Ekiti State Chieftaincy Declaration, 2024, which governs the selection of the Alara of Aramoko-Ekiti, clearly outlines the procedure for filling the vacancy.
According to him, the Declaration was made on March 23, 2023, approved by the State Government on April 17, 2023, and subsequently gazetted in 2024.
He warned that any process that departs from the provisions of the Declaration could expose the selection to legal challenge.
To buttress his position, Oyewole reproduced Paragraph F of the Declaration, which prescribes the procedure to be followed in filling the vacancy. The paragraph provides for notification by the Local Government Secretary, a meeting of the ruling house to select candidate(s), presentation to Kingmakers, and other stipulated timelines.
Oyewole urged the State Attorney General to intervene and ensure that the selection process strictly complies with the law, regulations, and customs governing the Alara stool.
He emphasized that adherence to the 2024 Declaration would safeguard the integrity of the process and prevent unnecessary litigation.
