The kingmakers in Oyo town have dragged Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, to court over the vacant Alaafin stool.
The suit, which was filed at the Oyo State High Court sitting in Oyo town, by five kingmakers is seeking 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.”
The claimants in the suit are the Basorun of Oyo, High Chief Yusuf Ayoola; Lagunna of Oyo, High Chief Wakeel Oyedepo; Akinniku of Oyo, High Chief Amusa Yusuf; Areago Basorun, Chief Wahab Oyetunji; and the Alapo of Oyo, Chief Gbadebo Mufutau.
They also listed the Oyo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice as well as the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs as defendants in the suit.
The kingmakers claimed they had unanimously selected Prince Lukuman Gbadegesin at meeting on September 30, 2022 , to fill the stool of Alaafin of Oyo, which had become vacant since April 2022 when the 45th Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III died.
They are praying the court to restrain Makinde and his agents from nullifying the choice of 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.”
They want the court to restrain the defendants from “harassing, disturbing, preventing or stopping the claimants from carrying on their traditional functions and responsibilities as kingmakers of Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had last week grilled some of the kingmakers over allegations of bribery in relation to the selection of the next Alaafin.
A petitioner had alleged that the kingmakers collected bribes running into millions of naira to facilitate the selection of Gbadegesin.
The court is yet to announce a date for the hearing of the suit filed by the kingmakers.
The development came after an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ogbomoso nullified the selection and installation of Afolabi Olaoye as the Soun of Ogbomoso.
