Kingmakers in Koka-Ijesa, Osun State, have strongly refuted rumors that they are deceased and called on the Osun State Government to disregard such insinuations. They clarified that they are very much alive and actively engaged in the process of selecting a new monarch for the town.
The vacancy in the stool of Onikoka arose following the passing of the last Onikoka, Oba Emmanuel Fadare, earlier in the year. The kingmakers stated that they have already commenced the process of selecting a new royal leader for the town.
Chief Lasisi Samotu, the Oriisa of Koka, spoke on behalf of five other kingmakers in the town, addressing the media in Osogbo. He emphasized that none of the kingmakers in Koka had passed away, contrary to what some individuals with vested interests were spreading.
Samotu stated in Yoruba, “We, the kingmakers of Koka-Ijesa, are alive. They said we are dead. That is far from the truth. We are all here to address the press, that we are not dead.”
He went on to clarify that the kingmakers have been actively involved in the selection of the past two reigning kings in their town and that no one can appoint warrant chiefs while they are still alive. They expressed their trust in the governor, Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke, as a person who follows due process and urged him to verify their claims while thwarting any attempts to disrupt the peace of their town.