An Oyo prince, Lukman Gbadegesin, has announced plans to contest the appointment and presentation of the staff of office to Prince Akeem Owoade as the new Alaafin of Oyo by Governor Seyi Makinde. Gbadegesin has urged the court to nullify the appointment, arguing that it contravenes existing laws.
In a pre-action notice signed by his legal representative, Adekunle Sobaloju (SAN), and addressed to Governor Makinde, Gbadegesin maintained that the governor’s actions violate the Oyo State Chiefs’ Law of 2000.
The notice stated, “By appointing a different candidate, the governor has usurped the powers of the Oyomesi, contrary to the Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration of 1961, which assigns the sole authority for selecting the Alaafin to the Oyomesi.
“The governor’s reliance on Ifa consultation is inconsistent with the December 19, 2022, judgment of the Oyo State High Court, which declared such consultations unlawful as they are not stipulated in the Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration of 1961. Additionally, allegations of bribery by two Oyomesi members, raised over a year after the selection process, lack credibility and were neither formally communicated to the governor nor investigated.”
Gbadegesin’s legal team is seeking a court order to nullify the appointment and presentation of the staff of office to Prince Owoade, arguing that the process violated the provisions of the Chiefs’ Law of Oyo State and the Registered Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration of 1961.
The notice further demands a declaration that Gbadegesin was validly selected by the Oyomesi as the rightful candidate to fill the vacant stool of the Alaafin of Oyo, making his appointment lawful and proper.
Oyomesi Threatens Legal Action
Meanwhile, the Oyomesi, Oyo’s traditional kingmakers, have also threatened legal action against Governor Makinde over allegations of bribery during the selection process.
In a letter addressed to the governor and signed by their legal representative, Adekunle Sobaloju (SAN), the Oyomesi described the governor’s claims as defamatory and damaging to their reputation. They demanded evidence to substantiate the bribery allegations.
Governor Makinde’s appointment of Prince Owoade as the new Alaafin on January 13, 2024, marked the end of a two-year wait following the passing of Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III in 2022. During the coronation ceremony, the governor warned that any individual found guilty of accepting bribes during the selection process would face legal consequences.
The Oyomesi, which includes High Chief Yusuf Akinade (Bashorun of Oyo), High Chief Wakeel Akindele (Lagunna of Oyo), High Chief Hamzat Yusuf (Akinniku of Oyo), Chief Wahab Oyetunji (warrant chief stand-in for Asipa of Oyo), and Chief Gbadebo Mufutau (warrant chief stand-in for Alapinni of Oyo), expressed their discontent in a letter titled, “Curbing Public Statements Maligning the Integrity of the Oyomesi”.
The letter, dated January 14, 2025, was sent to the governor by the law firm Kunle Sobaloju & Co.
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