Ekiti State: Bamidele Oni Approved as New Owa of Oke-Ako Ekiti

• Prince Bamidele Oni has been approved as the new Owa of Oke-Ako Ekiti after 25 years without a traditional ruler.
• The appointment was made by the Ekiti State Executive Council at its sixth meeting in 2026, held on August 18.
• Prince Oni emerged as the unanimous choice of the four participating kingmakers after an Ifa divination exercise was conducted.

After 25 years without a traditional ruler, Prince Bamidele Oni has been approved as the new Owa of Oke-Ako Ekiti.

After 25 years without a traditional ruler, Prince Bamidele Oni has been approved as the new Owa of Oke-Ako Ekiti. The appointment was made by the Ekiti State Executive Council at its sixth meeting in 2026, held on August 18. This decision brings an end to a prolonged vacancy that began in 2000 following the passing of the late monarch, Oba Jackson Omotayo Ogunbiyi. According to the Chieftaincy Declaration produced by the Oyewole Chieftaincy Review Commission, the traditional stool is governed by two Ruling Houses: Aofin and Okediosan, which rotate the position every few years.

The selection process for Prince Oni was not without its challenges. The three stocks of the Aofin Ruling House - Oke-Aofin, Odo-Aofin, and Afata - had been involved in a 25-year litigation over their entitlement to present candidates for the stool. However, following a Supreme Court judgment delivered on December 19, 2025, which affirmed that every male member of these stocks was entitled to contest, stakeholders entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to promote equity and preserve communal harmony.

Prince Bamidele Oni emerged as the unanimous choice of the four participating kingmakers after an Ifa divination exercise was conducted. His selection complied with the Registered Chieftaincy Declaration and the Chiefs Law (2012) of Ekiti State. The state government said that Prince Oni's appointment marked a new chapter in the history of Oke-Ako Ekiti, bringing to an end a period characterised by legal disputes and a prolonged succession process.

Lawyers advising clients on business or property interests in Ekiti State should note the new Owa's emergence and potential implications for land ownership, taxation, and community relations.

Source: Original reporting via Ekiti community gets new traditional ruler after 25 years