Some natives of Araromi Ekiti in Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti State have called on the state government to disqualify one of the contestants to the Obaship stool of the community, Prince Babatunde Adebomi, over alleged falsification of certificate.
They made the call during a peaceful Protest to the State House of Assembly and the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs, in Ado, where they submitted a petition on the matter.
The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions stating their agitation.
Addressing journalists, one of the protesters, Mr. Olusola Aina, alleged that a letter obtained from the University of Ibadan showed that the said Prince was not a graduate of the university as claimed, and that the management of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital confirmed, in a letter, that the prince who was their former staff absconded from Service.
Mr Aina noted that It would be out of place to allow the Prince to become the traditional ruler of the community despite his alleged involvement in such unwholesome activities.
He said “We are here to protest the alleged government’s decision to impose a suspected criminal as our Oba, we are rejecting it in totality, we are not following the Ifa pronunciation, when ifa gives us a criminal we will reject it.
“We have made our investigation, and we found out that he is not a graduate of the University of Ibadan as claimed and he absconded from the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital where he was working prior to a verification exercise.
“He worked at EKSUTH (Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital) as a physiotherapist, with a forged certificate, when they found out, he went into hiding only to resurface. We don’t want a king that the police will be running after for the forgery of NYSC certificate. If the government rejects forged certificates in the Civil Service why impose such person on us as Oba.
He affirmed that the police has been petitioned and the prince was invited but he did not show up.
When contacted on telephone, Prince Babatunde Adebomi denied the allegations saying he had not submitted his certificate to government or any body in respect to the kingship matter wondering where the allegation of forged certificate came from.
He said the protesters were biased and trying to blackmail him because he was dully nominated by Ifa priest ahead of their candidates.
