The Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi might have dumped his ally, the Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, Oba Adebanji Ajibade Alabi, in the latterâs recent open confrontation with the revered Oyo monarch.
The Ilawe Ekiti king, who doubles as Chairman, Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers, had lampooned Alaafin in a letter addressed to the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, calling Alaafin a meddlesome interloper that derives gains in fomenting crisis.
The Alaweâs letter was purported to be a response to an earlier advisory letter the Alaafin wrote to the governor, Fayemi, admonishing him to tread softly over a recent query he ordered to be issued some traditional rulers in the state who dragged him to court last year over alleged breach of tradition.
The Ekiti State governor Fayemi had upturned the composition of the highest traditional rulersâ body, âPelupeluâ, which used to comprise 16 members, by adding another five and choosing among the new five to be chairman of the state traditional body.
The Alawe, who was among the new five and the one bestowed with the leadership of the Ekiti traditional rulersâ body currently in contest, had taken on the Alaafin, accusing him of over stepping his bounds and called on governor Fayemi to discountenance the Oyo monarchâs admonition, saying responding would amount to unmerited dignity.
But Fayemi in a surprise afternoon visit, few hours later, was guest to the Oyo monarch in the ancient city of Oyo, in Oyo State, ostensibly to straighten issues with him.
Fayemi who was cornered as he was prostrating for the Oyo monarch in obeisance, spent about an hour with the king in a closed-door meeting before zooming back to base.
As at press time, details of the meeting are yet to be disclosed, even as it is believed that the meeting solely focused on the Ekiti Oba hierarchy debacle and how best to resolve it.
