iDeemlawfulA group, the Oyo Heritage Forum, has petitioned the Oyo State House of Assembly, demanding an urgent legislative probe into the process that led to the emergence of Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I as the Alaafin of Oyo.
The demand was contained in a petition signed and submitted to the Oyo State House of Assembly by the lead petitioner and chief executive of Probe Communications, Otunba Dare Adelekan.
The group alleged political manipulation, breaches of the law and the misuse of warrant chiefs in the process.
In the petition addressed to the Speaker of the House, Debo Ogundoyin, the forum claimed that the steps leading to Oba Owoade’s selection violated established traditional norms and legal provisions, and had sparked rising tension between the monarch and the state executive.
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According to the petitioners, the Oyo-Mesi, the statutory kingmakers recognised under the 1961 Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration, had earlier reached a consensus in support of Prince Lukman Gbadegesin.
They argued that the eventual appointment of Oba Owoade by the state government ignored this consensus, thereby eroding the authority of the kingmakers and weakening the credibility of the traditional institution.
The group further expressed concern over what it described as the legal vulnerability of the current Alaafin’s position, citing an ongoing court case (Suit No. HOY/05/2025) instituted by Prince Gbadegesin.
The petition referred to a 2022 High Court judgment which ruled that Ifa divination is not a legal requirement in the Alaafin selection process, alleging that reliance on such divination in the present case contradicts existing judicial precedent.
Additionally, the petitioners questioned the reported deployment of emergency warrant chiefs to legitimise the selection, despite the prior conclusion of the process by the substantive Oyo-Mesi.
Beyond the selection procedure, the forum accused Oba Owoade of acts of insubordination and political bias, pointing to his legal action against the state government over the Oyo State Council of Obas (Further Amendments) Law, 2025.
The group contended that the monarch’s lawsuit, coupled with alleged alignment with the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), amounted to conduct unbecoming of a traditional ruler whose emergence, they claimed, was enabled by the state executive.
The petitioners urged the House of Assembly to exercise its oversight responsibilities by convening a public hearing where surviving members of the Oyo-Mesi could testify on whether the selection complied with the registered declaration.
They also called for a comprehensive review of the process to ascertain whether political interference influenced the submission of the Alaafin’s name to the Executive Council.
The forum further asked the Assembly to ensure strict compliance with the 2025 Obas Council law, insisting that no traditional ruler should obstruct the rotational chairmanship arrangement designed to promote equity among royal institutions in the state.
“The throne of Oyo belongs to the people, not to the highest political bidder,” the petitioner stated, warning that prolonged legal battles and partisan disputes could further weaken the authority of the Alaafin stool.