A prince from the Osupa Ruling House in Akure, Ondo State, Prince Kole Aladetoyinbo, has been named as the new Deji of Akure.
According to a source, Aladetoyinbo was unanimously selected on Sunday by the kingmakers of the ancient town among 13 princes that had shown interest in the stool.
The source said the ruling house had at the weekend forwarded a list of nominees to the kingmakers after a meeting at the residence of its head, Dr. Ade Ogunleye.
The meeting was attended by some officials of the Akure South Local Government who were there to observe the process.
The nominees, the source said, were Kayode Oluwole, Adegbola Adelabu, Adegbite Kayode, Adejuyigbe Femi, Adeolu Adepoju, Aladetoyinbo Kole Patrick and Agbebi Leye.
It was learnt that the state government had last Monday written a letter through the Akure South Local Government, directing the ruling house to nominate a candidate for the approval of kingmakers.
However, the deposed Deji of Akure, Prince Adesina Adepoju, has faulted the nomination process for the new Deji of Akure by the Osupa Ruling House.
The deposed traditional ruler who also hails from the Osupa Ruling House has therefore sought an order of the state High Court to stop the nomination of a candidate to occupy the vacant stool.
Adepoju was dethroned and banished from the town after he engaged his wife, the late Olori Bolanle Adepoju, in a public free for all in 2010.
This development led to the enthronement of the late Oba Adesida from Ojijigogun Ruling House who was crowned in 2010 as the 46th Deji of Akure, but died on December 1, 2013 after reigning for three years.
