Oyo kingmakers reject fresh selection process, insist Gbadegesin is Alaafin-elect

Five kingmakers in Oyo town have faulted Governor Seyi Makinde’s directive to initiate a fresh selection process to pick a new Alaafin of Oyo, asserting that Prince Lukman Gbadegesin has already been chosen as the Alaafin-elect.

The kingmakers opposing the governor’s action include the Basorun of Oyo, High Chief Yusuf Akinade; the Lagunna of Oyo, High Chief Wakeel Akindele; the Akinniku of Oyo, High Chief Hamzat Yusuf; a warrant chief standing in for Asipa of Oyo, Chief Wahab Oyetunji; and a warrant chief standing in for Alapinni of Oyo, Chief Gbadebo Mufutau.

In a letter addressed to the governor and signed by their legal counsel, Adekunle Sobaloju (SAN), the kingmakers claimed the governor’s move disregards a pending court case concerning the selection process.

The letter, which was made available to newsmen on Thursday, read, “We have just been reliably informed by our clients that you have just through the Oyo State Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs and Chairmen of Atiba and Oyo East Local Government appointed (i) Chief Odurinde Olusegun (Alajagba of Ajagba) (ii) Chief Ganiyu Ajiboye (Alago-Oja of Ago Oja) as warrant kingmakers to join High Chief Asimiyu Atanda (Agbaakin of Oyo) and High Chief Lamidi Oyewale (Samu of Oyo) to kickstart the process of selecting another candidate to fill the vacant stool of Alafin of Oyo.

“The two local government chairmen and the said warrant chiefs and High Chief Asimiyu Atanda (Agbaakin of Oyo) and High Chief Lamidi Oyewale (Samu of Oyo) who are not in support of the decision of the majority of the kingmakers that selected Prince Lukman Adelodun Gbadegesin as the Alafin-elect were summoned today, 9th January 2025 to the office of the Oyo State Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs where they were ordered to commence a fresh process to fill the vacant stool of Alafin of Oyo.”

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Sobaloju described the move as illegal and disrespectful to the judiciary, noting that the matter is still before the court.

He warned that disregarding the court’s authority undermines governance and violates the constitution.

He likened the move to a previous incident where Makinde disregarded court proceedings to dissolve democratically elected local government chairmen.

He added, “Proceeding to commence a fresh process for the filling of the vacant stool of Alafin of Oyo would be subjudice and tantamount to lawlessness and disregard of the superior courts of record, an act which Your Excellency ought to distance yourself from.

“We, therefore, once more request and urge Your Excellency to suspend any plan to kick start fresh process for the filling of the vacant stool of Alafin of Oyo during the pendency of a motion for injunction, pending appeal in obedience to law and integrity of our courts.”

There has been a crisis over the selection of a new monarch following the death of Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, who passed away on April 22, 2022, at the age of 81 after a 52-year reign.