Kingmakers in Okeigbo town, Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo local government area of Ondo State on Sunday staged a peaceful protest to demand for a fresh election in the selection process to elect a new king for the town.
The kingmakers equally alleged the Ondo State government of imposing Prince Akintoye Adeoye scored only two votes out of the total votes casted during the election.
They however called for a total counciliation of the election that produced rince Akintoye as the Oluoke-elect and demanded for a fresh one.
The kingmakers who are from Aare Kugbaigbe and four other rulling houses in the ancient community, called on the Ondo State government to immediately withdraw the approval granted to Prince Akintoye Adeoye and organise a fresh election within the next seven days.
The rulling houses spoke on Sunday during a peaceful protest held in the community, called for outright councilation of the charades June 27, 2025 election that forcefully declared Prince Akintoye Adeoye as the monarch-elect for the town.
During the peaceful protest monitored by the police and other security agencies, the agreived kingmakers said the election that brought in the Oba-elect apart from been rigged in his favoured, it was also marred by other irregularities allegedly papetraited by the Chairman Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo local government Mr Adeboye Adebare and other officials.
Describing the election as charades, the kingmakers said it is a sacrilege in the history of the ancient community, vowed to continue with the protest until the government reverse the approval granted to Prince Akintoye Adeoye
.
As part of the protest, a detachment of police officers from the Okeigbo divisional police station led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the station, Prince Edward Asaolu as well as members of the local hunters were seen patrolling the town with police branded vehicles apparently to prevent breaking of law and orders.
Other security operatives noticed during the peaceful protest are operatives of the Department of State Security Service (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence. Corps ( NSCDC) as well as officials of the Ondo State Security Network code name Amotekun among others.
The protest which almost paralysed commercial activities in the only market in the town, begin at the early hour, as the protesters matched from the palace of the town and later terminated at Ita-Aare where the family house of Aare Kugbaigbe rulling house is located.
The protesters later joined by youths, women’s group as well as elders in the town chatting various solidarity songs carrying placards with various inscriptions such as “No to inpossition, “Prince Gbenga won the election ” no to cheating” “Aare youths say no to imposition” among other inscriptions.
Speaking during the protest, the Secretary to Aare Kugbaigbe rulling house, Elder Olajide Olawole, alleged that the election that produced Prince Akintoye who is also from the same rulling house was manipulated to favoured him.
He lamented that several stakeholders in the town were disallowed to witness the conduct of the election, alleged that the Chairman of Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo local government of masterminding how the election was rigged in favoured of the Oba-elect.
The Secretary explained that several petitions and complaints was written to the government calling for a fresh election and new selection process does not yield positive result, not until an approval was granted to Prince Akintoye as the Oluoke-elect by the government.
He called for a fresh election, noted that the development will give every members of the rulling houses including all the contestants to have the opportunity to participate in the process.
Similarly, the Women Leader in Aare Kugbaigbe rulling house, Princess Jemirayo Fajeyisan, who is also one of the kingmakers, claimed that she voted for Prince Gbenga Odetayo during the election.
She warned against any imposition of anybody on the town, noted that the development threatened that the move could lead to breaking of law and order in the town, she also posited that spiritual and traditional consultation has showed that if somebody who is not popular imposed on the town as monarch or any Prince who is not choosed by the oracle surdenly emerged as king in the town, it may lead to unforseen situation among other bad incident.
Similarly, Prince Adeniyi Adegbite, who is also a prominent member of Aare Kugbaigbe rulling house, insisted to see the ballot papers used during the election that claimed to have won by Prince Akintoye Adeoye.
“The election is a kangaroo, all members of the various rulling houses in the town were disallowed to witness the selection process, the Chairman of Ile-Oluji
/ Okeigbo local government claimed to have be the Chief Security Officer in the town and can disallowed anybody to witnessed the selection process ” he stated.