The Ekiti State government has granted the request of the Aramoko-Ekiti community in Ekiti West Local Government to begin the practice of installing a female regent to temporarily fill the vacant Alara stool.

The deputy governor, Monisade Afuye, announced this on Friday in Aramoko-Ekiti while interacting with stakeholders over the installation of a female regent, which deviates from the longstanding practice.

The stool became vacant following the death of Oba Olu Adeyemi, from the Arakale ruling house, on August 9, 2025.

Ms Afuye said that the approval was based on the letter to the government by the deceased traditional ruler, Oba Adeyemi, and other stakeholders on April 23, 2015.

She explained the community had contended that the practice by which a male chief adorned in royal regalia with a beaded crown sat on Alara’s stool was strange to Yoruba culture.

Ms Afuye said the approval was in stringent alignment with the new Alara Chieftaincy Declarations 2015, which was approved and gazetted by the government.

She said that the change in the traditional practice was at the request of the community, spearheaded by the last Alara and adopted by the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers.

The deputy governor harped on the need for unity in the town, admonishing the community to adhere strictly to the new Chieftaincy Declarations, which stipulated that the appointment of a female regent should be embraced.

She assured that the government will not forcefully impose anyone as a traditional ruler or regent and would not bend the law to favour anyone in the installation of a traditional ruler.

“This new Alara Chieftaincy Declaration was done to avert a crisis in the town. Not even your governor can change your declarations. Only a substantive traditional ruler and stakeholders can change it.

“With what we have read out to all of you in the new chieftaincy declarations, you can now install a female child of the immediate past traditional ruler as the regent to serve for a period of three to six months as the first option.

“If you can’t get this, you can pick from his ruling house. I learnt the last male occupant installed into the position nearly divided the town, and that accounted for why you agreed that a female regent will be the first option,” she said.

Continuing, Ms Afuye said, “The meeting where the decision was taken was a well-attended one. All the chiefs were there. The representatives of the ruling houses were there and other illustrious indigenes.

“The letter to the government was duly signed by all the required parties.

“Now that you have all agreed to this new order, because nothing lasts forever, the government will soon announce the name of your preferred candidate as the female regent when you forward it to us.”

Commending the government for nipping the crisis in the bud, the Second-in-Command to Alara, Diran Adebayo, thanked the deputy governor for going into the nitty-gritty of the issue by explaining how the declaration was done.

Mr Adebayo applauded the government’s impartiality and urged all the indigenes of Aramoko-Ekiti to abide by the new approval.

At the meeting, Olufemi Aladeloye represented the Olokun ruling house, Olusola Samuel stood in for the Agbagba royal dynasty, while Mr Samuel Adeuyi represented the Arakale royal lineage.

Speaking on behalf of the ruling houses, Mr Aladeloye said they were in agreement with the review and adoption of a female regent in their traditional practice.

“What the government approved for us meets our yearnings, and we are all happy,” he said.

(NAN)