Royal Tussle in Oyo as Controversy Trails Appointment of Monarch, Family Sends Message to Makinde
- Controversy has rocked the process of appointing the Obalufon of Sepeteri in Saki East local government of Oyo state
- The controversy started with the removal of approved kingmakers from participating in the process leading to the appointment of the new monarch
- Legit.ng gathered that Oyo State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters had earlier given the go-ahead to five candidates to participate in the process, but one of them was favoured by the selection committee amidst fraud allegations
Sepeteri, Oyo state - Another royal crisis is brewing in Oyo state, as the ancient town of Sepeteri in Saki East local government area rejected the selection process to elect a new king, citing allegations of fraud.
Sepeteri has been without a traditional ruler since 2013, and ongoing efforts to install a new monarch have been marred by controversy and opposition.
Source: Facebook
Death of Obalufon and struggle to appoint successor
Nearly 12 years ago, the Obalufon of Sepeteri passed away, creating a vacuum on the royal throne. Efforts to appoint a successor proved challenging, as none of the contenders was willing to step down for the other.
This deadlock led to a prolonged legal battle, which escalated from the state high court to the Court of Appeal.
”After the demise of our king in 2013, the case (regarding the appointment of a successor) was taken to court by some members of the Omiwole family (a subset of Adewole Ruling House). The judgment favoured the Adewole family. However, some people felt aggrieved and appealed the judgment. The Court of Appeal ruled that both the winners (Omiwole) at the High Court and those who lost (Oyedele and Olaleye) were entitled to the throne, after all, they are from the same extended Adesola family”, the Omiwole family head, Mojeed Omiwole, told Legit.ng.
Obalufon's appointment: The inconsistencies
Following the Court of Appeal's ruling, a series of letters from the Oyo State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters—addressed to the Executive Chairman of Saki East Local Government and obtained by Legit.ng—revealed inconsistencies in the appointment of kingmakers for the Obalufon stool.
For example, a letter dated March 17, 2025, and signed by A.M. Olajire, Director of Chieftaincy Matters, listed the following individuals as kingmakers: Chief Oni Oladapo, Dr. Mike Folorunso Atilola, Barrister Emmanuel Adeyemo, Chief Yusuf Ganiyu (Pakanyin), Chief Sanusi Ganiyu (Dagan), Chief Muda Oyekan (Baale Iyakun), and Chief Ojedapo M. Adegbaye (Warrant Chief).
However, earlier letters dated March 4 and March 10, 2025, and also signed by Olajire, featured different names, most notably excluding Chief Muda Oyekan and Chief Ojedapo M. Adegbaye. This discrepancy has fueled allegations of manipulation and raised questions about the credibility of the selection process.
According to a source, the March 17th letter suggests the involvement of an impersonator and the inclusion of an unauthorised individual in the selection process.
Sepeteri royal tussle: Saki monarch indicted
In a 3-minute 30-second video obtained by Legit.ng correspondent, one of the kingmakers, Chief Ojedapo M. Adegbaye, listed as the Warrant Chief in one of the letters by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, confessed that he was not from Sepeteri. He explained that he was contacted by the Okere of Saki palace for a meeting with the revered traditional ruler.
According to him, although he claimed to have hailed from Saki, he participated in the election of the new king for Sepeteri.
His words:
“I was on the farm before I received a call that the Okere (the Saki monarch) wanted to see me. The King cannot call you and ignore the call. When I got home at night, I went to see the king. After exchanging pleasantries, he informed me that he would want me to participate in a kingship matter. He promised to get back. He called me the following day and told me the matter would be tomorrow.
"He sent Baale of Sepeteri in Saki to me. I am from Ile-Elefin in Saki. Even though I was told not to inform anyone, I informed my son. There were seven of us who voted; I thumbprinted and marked the date. If I had met another traditionalist at the meeting, this issue wouldn’t have been like this”
Sepeteri royal crisis: Alleged elimination of candidates
Legit.ng gathered the five contestants from Adesola ruling house in Sepeteri, aspiring for the vacant royal stool of the ancient town are:
- Prince Omiwole Oyeleke Moruff
- Prince Afolabi Oyetunde Abel
- Prince Omiwole Sola Najeem
- Prince Olakunle Olawoyin Olaleye
- Prince Abdulfatai Oyebanji Oyediran
In what appears to be a systematic exclusion of four out of the five contenders for the royal stool, “only Prince Abdulfatai Oyebanji Oyediran was informed of the election that was held, and he was subsequently elected by the already compromised kingmakers who paraded a non-indigene of Sepeteri as a kingmaker,” said Mr Omiwole.
Source: Facebook
Against the requirement and protocol, the Abese of Sepeteri, Chief Rasheed Oyeleke, who was allegedly impersonated by Baale Iyaakun of Sepeteri, was prevented from taking part in the decision to elect the new king.
Appeal to Governor Seyi Makinde
Mr Mojeed Omiwole appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to help intervene so that “the fraudulent process will not produce the candidate that does not reflect the wish of the people."
He reiterated that the Chief Abese of Sepeteri was impersonated by the Baale of Iyaakun, a different village. Even more surprisingly, a non-indigene acted like a Warrant Chief and took part in the selection of the town's king.
“We beg Governor Seyi Makinde to use his authority and good office to rescue Sepeteri from fraudulent process as it is. We have no confidence in the process. There is no doubt that the five candidates eyeing Obalufon are from the Adesola ruling house, but the selection process is laced with fraud, and we call on the Governor to intervene," he told Legit.ng.
Makinde taunts lobbyists at 46th Alaafin’s coronation
In another report, Governor Makinde said that the tradition was followed in the selection of the new Alaafin.
The governor stated this during the coronation of Oba Akeem Owoade as the 46th Alaafin of Oyo Kingdom.
This is as he said he would continue to follow the process in the chieftaincy matters of the state rather than allowing lobbyist to have their way.
PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!
Source: Legit.ng
Nurudeen Lawal (Head of Politics and Current Affairs Desk) Nurudeen Lawal is an AFP-certified journalist with a wealth of experience spanning over 8 years. He received his B/Arts degree in Literature-in-English from OAU. Lawal is the Head of the Politics/CA Desk at Legit.ng, where he applies his expertise to provide incisive coverage of events. He was named the Political Desk Head of the Year (Nigeria Media Nite-Out Award 2023). He is also a certified fact-checker (Dubawa fellowship, 2020). Contact him at lawal.nurudeen@corp.legit.ng or +2347057737768.
Ridwan Kolawole (Oyo State Correspondent) Ridwan Kolawole has over a decade of journalism practice, covering politics, crimes/conflict, education, and social issues. He is a recipient of the Practical Action and UKaid travel grant for a tour of El Salvador on evidence-based crime prevention and control (2016). He is a serial winner of the Next Generation Social Science in Africa programme Fellowship of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC, New York—2019, 2020 and 2022). For passion and knowledge mobilisation, Ridwan practices journalism and teaches it.
