The Kingmakers and other Stakeholders of Mopa Traditional Council in Mopamuro LGA, Kogi State, have affirmed that the selection process of the new Elulu of Mopa Land, HRM Oba Muyiwa Ibeun, was credible, fair and transparent.
The Kingmakers made the affirmation at a press conference on Thursday at the Elulu’s Place in Mopa, Mopamuro Local Government Areas of Kogi State.
The kingmakers were reacting to a press statement by one of the aggrieved Aspirants, alleging that the selection process that produced the new Elulu Mopa, was marred with manipulations and irregularities to favour HRM Oba Muyiwa Ibeun.
The Kingmakers include: Chief Shola Mofobi, the Obaje of Mopaland; Apostle Rotimi Akinbola from Ijagbe-Mopa; Chief Ayodele Oluwole; Comdr Temitope Olorunshola, among others, from the nine (9) communities of Mopaland.
In their various comments, the Kingmakers emphasised that the selection process that produced the new Elulu of Mopa, was free, fair, transparent and credible.
In his remarks, the Balogun of Mopa Traditional Council; Oba Clarence Olafemi, said the Kingmakers did a perfect job from the beginning of the selection process till the end after which the Certificate of Return was issued to the winner, Oba Muyiwa Ibeun.
Olafemi explained that the first preoccupation after the completion of the funeral rite of the late Elulu, HRM Oba Julius Joledo, was to set up a Committee of kingmakers with a representative from each of the nine communities that made up Mopaland.
He noted that the deliberations and proceedings at all the committee meetings were duly documented, during which the seven applicants vying for the Elulu stools were evaluated.
“At the end of the evaluation attended by all Aspirants, the Kingmakers came up with the name of the new Elulu of Mopa, HRM Oba Muyiwa Ibeun, who scored the higher points among all the applicants.
“The Certificate of Return was then issued by the Kingmakers to the new Elulu. The records of all the activities of the meetings of the kingmakers were duly documented.
“In any contest, there must be a winner and a loser. In the contest for the new Elulu of Mopa, Oba Muyiwa Ibeun has been duly elected as the winner,” Olafemi said.
Olafemi, who doubles as the Oba of Okedagun Odole-Mopa, stressed that the Elulu stool was not synonymous to any particular clan in Mopa, but always open to any qualified candidate that sginify interest.
Olafemi maintained that the Elulu stool was being rotated between two axes of Odole and Ileteju Mopa, saying the immediate past Elulu was from Odole axis, and the new Elulu must be selected from Ileteju axis where Oba Muyiwa Ibeun came from.
The former governor wondered why some people who participated in the process as a contestant went to court to seek redress.
He, therefore appealed to all other contestants particularly the aggrieved Aspirant to embrace peace and work with the new Elulu towards the development of Mopaland.
All the Kingmakers that spoke at the press conference corroborated Oba Olafemi’s claims, and urged the aggrieved aspirants to allow peace to reign for the development of Mopaland.
Reeling out the detailed on how the new Elulu emerged, the Obaje of Mopaland, Chief Shola Mofobi, said a total of seven (7) contestants signified their interest in Elulu stool.
“As Kingmakers who represented all the nine communities in Mopaland, we went all through the normal processes that we ought to follow in the selection of the new Elulu.
“The nine Kingmakers were involved in all the stages of the selection. We invited all the seven applicants for evaluation and grading which lasted for about 12 hours.
“At the end of the evaluation the result was tabulated and result sheet was generated with the total scores of each aspirant.
“David Ekundayo Ajolore scored 456 marks, Rotimi Komolafe – 417, Bamidele Bolorunduro – 450, Kehinde Elijah – 353, Dele Aiyenigba – 341, Oba Muyiwa Ibeun – 753, and Michael Godwin scored 313 marks.
“The aspirant that scored the highest marks of 753, HRM Oba Muyiwa Ibeun, was then selected, and thereafter coronated as the new Elulu of Mopa.
“But the man that went to court who came second scored 456 points, and he is all out misleading the people that the kingship is his father’s heritage.
“The process was very open, free, fair transparent and credible.
“The coronation was massively attended by all sons and daughters of Mopaland as well as dignitaries and government officials, representatives and heads of security agencies, among others,” Mofobi said.
On his part, Comrade Femi Ojo Solomon, the President of Ikeji Development Initiative (IDI), said a resolution by leaders of Mopa Traditional Council in 1989 was in line with the emergence of Oba Muyiwa Ibeun as Elulu of Mopa.
He, therefore assured the new Elulu of the unwavering support of the youths and the entire people of Mopaland.
In his remarks, the new Elulu of Mopa, called on Kogi Commissioner of Police and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, to call the aspirant, Oba of Iloke to order to stop fanning trouble in Mopaland.
The paramount ruler insisted that the selection process was carried out with utmost sincerity and transparency by the kingmakers without any external influence.
Oba Ibeun extended his hand of fellowship to all other aspirants and urged them to support and work with him for the peace and development of Mopaland.
“I came into the race for the purpose of effecting development in Mopa community.
“Since I came on board as the Elulu of Mopa I have picked the issues of electricity, relocation of college of education technical to Mopa, among other issues that bothered the community.
“I am set out for development of Mopa community and I will not allow detractors to derailed me from achieving my laudable plans for my people” the royal father said.