The Oyomesi in Council, whose members also serve as the kingmakers of Oyo town, has dragged Governor Seyi Makinde to court over the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo.
According to a report, suit HOY/38/2023 was filed by five kingmakers who asked the Oyo state High Court in Oyo to restrain the governor and his agents “from aborting the process for the selection/appointment of the candidate for filling the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo duly conducted by the kingmakers of Alaafin of Oyo chieftaincy.”
The claimants in the suit are the Bashorun of Oyo, High Chief Yusuf Layinka; Lagunna of Oyo, High Chief Wakeel Oyedepo; Akinniku of Oyo, High Chief Amusa Yusuf; Areago Bashorun, Chief Wahab Oyetunji; and the Alapo of Oyo, Chief Gbadebo Mufutau.
They also listed the Oyo state Attorney-General and the state’s Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs as defendants in the suit.
The kingmakers said they had at a meeting on September 30, unanimously selected a prince, Lukuman Gbadegesin, to fill the stool of Alaafin of Oyo, which had become vacant since April last year when the 45th Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi died.
They are praying the court to restrain Governor Makinde and his agents from nullifying the choice of Mr Gbadegesin and “approving or recognising any other candidate” as the next Alaafin “after a duly conducted process for the filling of the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo in accordance with the native law, custom and Chieftaincy Declaration of Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy.”
The kingmakers also want the court to restrain the governor and the other defendants from removing them as Oyo kingmakers or “dissolving the Oyomesi in Council or appointing or selecting warrant chiefs to conduct or start a fresh process for the filling of the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo.” (Premium Times)
