Gov Aiyedatiwa presents staff of office to Bolorunduro’s first monarch

…urges ruling houses to unite, warns against territorial encroachment

• Gov never interferes in Obas’ selection –Takuro

By Tolulope Eniola

Ondo State Governor, Hon Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, on Monday presented the staff of office and instrument of appointment to the pioneer Ekigbade of Bolorunduro, Oba Prof Thompson Akinyele Akinnifesi, urging him to use his traditional authority to promote peace, unity and development.

Governor Aiyedatiwa gave the charge in Ondo East Local Government during the coronation and presentation of the staff of office to the monarch, urging him to exercise restraint and caution in discharging his traditional responsibilities.

“With the formal presentation of the instrument of appointment and staff of office, the instrument should be employed to strengthen the peace and cohesion of your domain and not to be used to victimise perceived opponents or adversaries,” the governor said.

He expressed the hope that the monarch’s reign would usher in peace, accelerated growth and development in Bolorunduro.

The Governor also appealed to the sons and daughters of the community, particularly members of the five ruling houses, to embrace unity and put behind them the disagreements that characterised the selection process.

“I also like to use this medium to appeal to all sons and daughters of Bolorunduro, particularly the five founding families of Bolorunduro community, to crown the king and forget about the rivalry that heralded the selection process,” he said.

The governor explained that the Ekigbade stool in Bolorunduro, Ondo East Local Government Area, was among the newly recognised chieftaincies under Part One of the Chiefs Law of Ondo State, following the government’s approval of the recommendations of the Justice C. E. T. Ajama Commission of Inquiry into chieftaincy matters in the state.

He recalled that the immediate past Oloja of Bolorunduro, Chief Johnson Eniola Akinlosotu Johnson, who would have been the direct beneficiary of the new Obaship status, died in September 2021.

According to him, efforts by the ministry to fill the vacant stool since then had been hampered by various contentions, many of which resulted in litigation.

However, he said a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Chairman of Ondo East Local Government, Hon Joshua Ogunduyilemi, resolved that the town should have five ruling houses drawn from its founding families, with input from the Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom.

Governor Aiyedatiwa said that, because the stool was newly recognised, it had no registered chieftaincy declaration, making the community’s native law and custom the basis for the selection process.

Following the necessary procedures, representatives of the town’s 10 quarters, who served as kingmakers, met on Friday, April 17, 2026, and unanimously selected Prof Thompson Akinyele Akinnifesi from the Akinyefesi family as the Ekigbade-elect of Bolorunduro.

The selection was subsequently approved by the Ondo State Executive Council on September 7, 2026, after the government confirmed that the process complied with due process and the extant Chiefs Law of Ondo State.

The governor commended the stakeholders, particularly the Osemawe of Ondo, Oba Victor Adesimbo Kiladejo Jilo III, and the local government chairman, for their roles in the emergence of the new monarch.

He described their contributions as a demonstration of their commitment to the welfare and development of Bolorunduro and Ondo East.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to the security of residents, calling on traditional rulers and community members to support government efforts to tackle insecurity.

He urged the monarch to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements and activities to the appropriate authorities to help combat banditry, kidnapping and other forms of insecurity on roads and in communities.

In his address, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Amidu Takuro, said the governor had never interfered in the emergence of traditional rulers in the state.

“Let me also make it loud and clear. The governor of Ondo State has never for once interfered in the emergence of any Obaship candidate in Ondo State. He has always said that the interest of the people should be our interest,” he said.

“So, the emergence of Oba Professor Thompson Akinyele Akinnifesi was never manipulated by the governor or the government of Ondo State but by the people of Bolorunduro.”

He added that the ministry is implementing the governor’s directive to ensure that vacant traditional stools are filled lawfully.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of Ondo East Local Government, Hon Joshua Ogunduyilemi, described traditional institution as vital partners in maintaining peaceful coexistence, resolving disputes and mobilising communities for grassroots development.

Ogunduyilemi commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for the appointment and his administration’s development projects.

In his acceptance speech, the Ekingbade of Bolorunduro, Oba Prof Thompson Akinyele Akinnifesi, expressed gratitude to the governor for recognising the traditional institution and presenting him with the instrument and staff of office as the community’s pioneer monarch.

He thanked God, the Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, his family and the five founding fathers, while pledging to provide peaceful and inclusive leadership.

The monarch appealed for electricity and potable water after decades of deprivation. He also invited investors into agriculture, real estate, tourism and industries, urging indigenes at home and abroad to unite for the community’s development.

Those present at the event included the APC state chairman, Hon Kolawole Babatunde; Commissioner for Regional Integration and Diaspora Relations, Otunba Wale Akinlosotu; Special Adviser on Rural and Community Development, Otunba Ade Adeniyi; local government chairmen, religious leaders, traditional rulers and other dignitaries.