Gbadegesin is appealing to the court to set aside the appointment and presentation of staff of office to the new Alaafin, as carried out by the governor.
An Oyo prince, Lukman Gbadegesin, is heading to court to challenge the appointment and presentation of the staff of office to Prince Akeem Owoade as the new Alaafin of Oyo by Governor Seyi Makinde.
Gbadegesin is appealing to the court to set aside the appointment and presentation of staff of office to the new Alaafin, as carried out by the governor.
In a pre-action notice, signed by his legal representative, Adekunle Sobaloju SAN, a copy of which was addressed to the governor, he insisted that the governor’s actions run afoul of the Oyo State Chiefs’ Law 2000.
“By announcing a different candidate, the governor has usurped the powers of the Oyomesi, violating the Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration of 1961, which makes the Oyomesi the sole authority for the selection of the Alaafin.
“The governor’s alleged reliance on Ifa consultation contradicts the judgment of the Oyo State High Court of 19th December 2022, which declared Ifa consultation In the selection process unlawful, as it is not provided for in the Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration of 1961, and the allegations of bribery by two Oyomesi members, raised over a year after the selection, lack credibility and were not formally communicated to the Governor or investigated,” the letter read.
His lawyer noted that he is seeking “an order setting aside the purported appointment, approval of appointment and presentation of staff of office to Prince Abimbola Akeem Owoade as Alaafin of Oyo as it was done in violation of the provisions of the Chief’s Law of Oyo State, 2000, the Registered Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration of 1961, unlawful, unconstitutional, invalid, null and void”.
He is also seeking a declaration that he “was validly selected and or appointed by the Kingmakers of Alaafin of Oyo as the candidate to fill the vacant stool of the Alaafin of Oyo by Chiefs Law of Oyo State, 2000 and the Registered Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration of 1961 and therefore his appointment is valid, lawful and proper.”
SaharaReporters on Wednesday reported that the Oyomesi, traditional kingmakers in Oyo, also threatened legal action against Makinde, over allegations of bribery.
They claimed the governor’s statements were defamatory, damaging their reputation, and are demanding evidence to back up his claims.
Governor Makinde recently appointed Prince Owoade as the new Alaafin, marking the end of a two-year wait following the passing of Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III in 2022.
The announcement was made official on January 13, 2024, when Makinde presented Owoade with the staff of office.
During the coronation ceremony, Governor Makinde emphasised that anyone found to have accepted bribes during the selection process would be held accountable and made to face legal consequences.
The Oyomesi, comprising High Chief Yusuf Akínade, 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 Alapinní of Oyo, expressed their discontent in a letter to the Governor, signed by their legal representative, Adekunle Sobaloju (SAN) for the law firm, Kunle Sobaloju & Co.
The letter dated January 14, 2025 and addressed to the state governor is titled, “Curbing Public Statements Maligning The Integrity Of The Oyomesi.”
