The kingmakers in Ijebu-Ode have disclosed that only six out of between 86 and 95 applications submitted for the vacant Awujale of Ijebuland stool are fully complete.
The Chairman of the Interregnum Council and Head of the Kingmakers, Olorogun Sonny Folorunso Kuku, made this known in an interview on the progress of the selection process.
According to Kuku, although the selection process has commenced, many of the applications submitted by the ruling families were incomplete, leaving only about six that met the required documentation.
He explained that the kingmakers had already begun their deliberations but were proceeding with caution to avoid any form of bias.
Kuku said, “The families submitted between 86 and 95 names. This may sound surprising, but many of the applications were incomplete. At this point, only about six applications are fully completed.
“The kingmakers have already begun their work. Once we start, we must be extremely careful with our words and actions so as not to appear biased in any way.”
However, he revealed that the Ogun State Government had temporarily halted the process, noting that the kingmakers were yet to be informed of the exact reason for the decision.
Kuku added that the kingmakers were confident that the government was equally interested in ensuring a peaceful and credible outcome.
“However, today (Wednesday), we received a message from the government informing us that the process has been temporarily halted.
“At the moment, we do not know the exact reason for this decision. We are in contact with the government to understand why this happened and how the process can resume as quickly as possible.
“We are confident that the government is equally interested in ensuring a peaceful outcome.
“We are consulting with them, and we believe that something positive will happen very soon,” he said.
Addressing rumors of government interference or attempts to impose a candidate, Kuku dismissed the claims, stressing that the government does not sit with the kingmakers or interfere in their deliberations.
“As kingmakers, we are determined not to accept any imposition. But nothing like that has happened so far,” he stated.
He also clarified that the presence of security operatives around the palace was not intended to influence the selection process but was due to the temporary suspension of the exercise.