Choosing The Next Onipokia: The Process, The Procedure

Sons and daughters of Ipokia are waiting anxiously to have a new Oba after one year without a traditional ruler.

 The Onipokia stool became vacant after the passing of Oba Raufu Adetunji Adeole on November 13, 2016.

Choosing the next Onipokia is a process that has to be backed up with the Ogun State Chiefs Law. So, this write-up becomes necessary to prepare grounds for smooth selection of an Oba in Ipokia without any recourse to rancour.

After the demise of the Oba and the completion of all burial rites, the Chiefs Law of Ogun State requires the kingmakers, who are the statutory chiefs in the Ipokia Oba in Council, to write a letter to the Ogun State Government, through the Chairman of Ipokia Local Government, seeking approval for the commencement of the process of selection of a new Oba.

According to reports, this first step has been taken. The letter has been sent and the approval is being awaited.

While awaiting government's nod to commence the selection process, it is required of all stakeholders to have completed all necessary homeworks: the next Ruling House to produce the next Onipokia, which is Iwaye Dodo Ruling House, should put its house in order by choosing a unanimous family head (Olori Ebi); the candidates should be ready as well as the kingmakers.

The reason for this is because, the approval letter may arrive Ipokia sooner than anyone may ever imagine and vice versa. No matter the case, it is better not to be caught unawares.

Once the letter is received, through the Ipokia Local Government, the ruling house and the kingmakers have just 14 days to present a candidate to government as the next Onipokia.

This is how it goes: When the approval of the selection process of new Onipokia gets to the local government Chairman, notices would be made, the ruling house and the kingmakers would be informed that they have just 14 days to produce the next candidate to occupy the exalted Onipokia stool; through a free, fair and transparent process.

Once the process commences, it begins with Iwaye Dodo Ruling House. The ruling house is to nominate all qualified interested candidates. They are free to nominate as many candidates as are interested and entitled to the throne. What this means is that all interested sons of Iwaye Dodo, who are qualified should be nominated. (For example, 19 and 22 were  nominated in Sagamu and Ota respectively) Don't forget that such candidates must be of good reputations. They must never been convicted.

This is where the function of the family head becomes very paramount. He is the one to present the candidates to the kingmakers, that is the surviving Kings.

The names of the nominated candidates must be forwarded to the Chiefs (the kingmakers) by the Olori ebi.

The last process and the most crucial of it all is the election of one, out of all the names nominated by Iwaye Dodo Ruling House.

The kingmakers, who are the very few remaining high chiefs in the palace, as statutorily recognized by government, would now vote for the candidate of choice. The candidate with the highest number of votes automatically becomes the Onipokia elect.

Don't forget that all the processes must be completed within a period of 14 days.

If after 14 days, no candidate is elected, it means Iwaye Dodo Ruling House would lose its turn to the next ruling house. To avoid this, the stakeholders should put their houses in order now!

What should be of paramount importance to all is how to unite all Ipokia sons and daughters and stop adding fuel to a 'dying flame'.