Ore youths urge Aiyedatiwa to resolve lingering monarch appointment dispute

By Boye Oyeyemi

Youths in Ore, the administrative headquarters of Odigbo LGA of Ondo State, have appealed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene in the prolonged dispute over the appointment of a regent in the community.

The appeal comes amid lingering disagreements over the traditional leadership of the town following the death of the Olore of Ore, Oba Adebayo Temikotan, in August 2022, which left the stool vacant.

Since then, efforts to install a regent have been mired in controversy, despite calls from the Olore-in-Council urging the state government to facilitate due process for the emergence of a new monarch.

Addressing journalists in Akure on Thursday, a youth leader and grandson of the late monarch, Prince Adebayo Adeyemi, alleged that certain individuals were frustrating the governor’s efforts to restore leadership stability in the town.

He warned that the ongoing tensions could escalate if urgent action was not taken, adding that “some individuals are perpetrating acts capable of plunging Ore into anarchy. Before unrest becomes the order of the day, we call on the governor to intervene swiftly.”

Prince Adeyemi explained that the crisis dates back to November 2020 when a regent was appointed through the state’s Chieftaincy Affairs Commission, but some aggrieved parties obtained a court order restraining the appointee from functioning.

He stated that this legal action effectively left the community without both a king and a regent, creating a leadership vacuum that has persisted for years and affected governance at the local level.

Furthermore, he alleged that those opposing the process were benefiting from the absence of traditional authority in the community, warning that the situation was already undermining peace and hindering development.

He also disclosed that the state government had recently approved the appointment of an Adele in the person of High Chief Adenika Benjamin, but claimed that the same individuals had moved to frustrate the implementation, urging the governor to urgently step in to prevent a breakdown of law and order.