The Department of State Services (DSS) has invited the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, Oba Adeniyi Adeola Ajakaiye, for questioning over his palace’s demand for the chair used by Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji during a thanksgiving service at Babamuboni Memorial Anglican Church, Iyin-Ekiti.
The development followed a series of correspondence between the church and the Oluyin-in-Council concerning the chair on which the governor sat during the service on May 31, 2026.
Oyebanji had attended the thanksgiving service at the invitation of Senate Leader, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, an indigene of Iyin-Ekiti, days before the Ekiti State governorship election.
However, following the governor’s visit, the Oluyin’s Palace reportedly requested that the specific chair used by Oyebanji during the service be handed over to the palace.
The church’s Vicar, Ven. Dr. Samuel Sunday Agunbiade, reportedly declined the request, describing the demand as unusual.
The palace subsequently wrote formally to the church in a letter titled, “Re: Acknowledgement Of Your Letter Of Apology To The Stool Dated 4th June, 2026,” insisting that the chair be surrendered for what it described as “royal custody and appropriate traditional rites.”
In a June 17, 2026 letter signed by the Secretary of the Oluyin-in-Council, Chief Elejide Omobulejo, the palace acknowledged receipt of an earlier apology from the church concerning what it described as an “unfortunate incident” during the governor’s visit.
The letter stated: “I am directed by His Royal Majesty, Oba, Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, and the entire Oluyin-in-Council to acknowledge with due respect the receipt of your letter of apology to the revered stool dated 4th June 2026.
“The said letter addressed the unfortunate incident that transpired during the visit of the Executive Governor of Ekiti State to the Thanksgiving Service in your church.
“After due consultation and deliberation, the Oluyin-in-Council has resolved as follows:
“That the said chair which was the subject of the grievous incident be conveyed forthwith to the Palace of the Oluyin for Royal custody and appropriate Traditional rites.”
The council also directed that any replacement chair should be adequately protected against what it described as a recurrence of the incident.
It stated that “the replacement chair to be commissioned henceforth shall be placed under strict and adequate guard at all times, to avert any future desecration or recurrence of such grave oversight against the sanctity of the stool.”
The letter was signed by Omobulejo on behalf of the Oluyin-in-Council.
The Anglican Church, however, rejected the palace’s demand, insisting that the chair was church property and could not be surrendered for external purposes.
The church further explained that the original chair was no longer in existence in its previous form, having been dismantled and incorporated into the altar furnishing.
In its response, the church reportedly stated: “Consequently, the Church is not at liberty to surrender, transfer, or remove dedicated Church property for external purposes outside the procedures prescribed by ecclesiastical authority.”
“As custodians of these properties, we are duty-bound to preserve and administer them in accordance with the doctrine, discipline, and governance of the Church,” the church added.
Despite the church’s position, the palace reportedly maintained its demand for the chair.
The dispute has also been followed by developments involving the church’s leadership, with the Vicar, Ven. Dr. Agunbiade, who reportedly resisted the palace’s demand, subsequently transferred from the church.
The circumstances surrounding the transfer have raised questions among some residents, who suspect that it may be connected to the disagreement over the chair.
However, the official reason for Agunbiade’s transfer could not be independently established from the documents made available, and there is no established evidence that the transfer was ordered because of the dispute.
The palace’s demand has nevertheless generated controversy in Iyin-Ekiti, particularly over its reference to “appropriate traditional rites” in relation to a chair used by the governor.
Some residents have alleged that the chair could have been sought for ritual purposes against Oyebanji.
Those claims remain allegations and have not been independently established.
Residents have also expressed concern over the reported involvement of the DSS, saying the invitation of the monarch indicates that the security agency considers the matter significant enough to warrant questioning and investigation.
They have called for a thorough investigation into why the palace specifically requested the governor’s chair and what was intended by the phrase “appropriate traditional rites.”
The controversy has further triggered public debate over the circumstances surrounding the demand, with residents pointing out that political leaders, including governors and presidents, routinely attend religious services across Nigeria without their seats subsequently being requested by traditional institutions for ceremonial or traditional purposes.
The DSS has not publicly disclosed the specific reason for inviting Oba Ajakaiye for questioning.
The Oluyin’s Palace has also yet to publicly explain the precise nature of the “traditional rites” referred to in its correspondence with the Anglican Church.
The controversy continues to attract attention in Iyin-Ekiti as residents await clarification from the palace, the DSS and relevant church authorities on the circumstances surrounding the unusual demand.