By Okeke Eunice
Lukman Gbadegesin, one of the princes who vied for the Alaafin of Oyo’s throne, has taken legal action to contest the appointment and presentation of the staff of office to Prince Akeem Owoade as the new Alaafin, a decision made by Governor Seyi Makinde.
Gbadegesin, reportedly backed by a faction of the Oyomesi, is asking the court to annul the appointment, its approval, and the subsequent presentation of the staff of office by the governor.
In a pre-action notice issued by his lawyer, Adekunle Sobaloju SAN, and addressed to the governor, Gbadegesin argued that the governor’s actions violate the Oyo State Chiefs’ Law of 2000.
The dispute between the kingmakers and the governor over the selection of the new Alaafin has escalated into a major controversy.
Out of the seven members of the Oyomesi, five had endorsed Gbadegesin for the position. Despite this, Governor Makinde approved Owoade as the Alaafin and officially presented him with the staff of office on January 10.
At the event, the governor stated that he would not permit the politicization of the Alaafin’s throne and warned that those accused of paying to undermine the state’s traditional institution would be prosecuted.
However, by endorsing a different candidate, the governor has overstepped the authority of the Oyomesi, contravening the Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration of 1961, which grants the Oyomesi exclusive rights to select the Alaafin.
The letter stated that the governor’s alleged reliance on Ifa consultation contradicts the ruling of the Oyo State High Court on December 19, 2022, which deemed the use of Ifa consultation in the selection process unlawful, as it is not included in the Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration of 1961.
Additionally, the claims of bribery involving two members of the Oyomesi, raised more than a year after the selection process, lack credibility and were neither formally reported to the governor nor investigated.
The lawyer emphasized that the prince is seeking a court order to nullify the alleged appointment, approval, and presentation of the staff of office to Prince Abimbola Akeem Owoade as Alaafin of Oyo, arguing that these actions violated the provisions of the Oyo State Chiefs’ Law of 2000 and the Registered Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration of 1961.
He is also seeking a declaration that he was lawfully and validly selected by the Alaafin’s kingmakers in compliance with the Chiefs’ Law and the Chieftaincy Declaration, making his selection rightful, legal, and binding.