The Iresa-Adu community in Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State has installed a new traditional ruler in one of its key towns amid growing frustration over the delay in the formal approval of the Aresa-Adu stool by the state government.
Residents of the ancient town alleged that the decision followed several years of unsuccessful appeals to Governor Seyi Makinde to approve the selection process of the substantive Oba Aresa of Iresa-Adu, regarded as the paramount ruler of the area.
Iresa-Adu, which hosts the Surulere Local Government Secretariat, is considered a prominent historical settlement in Oyo State. Community sources recalled that the town received Governor Makinde during his campaign tours ahead of the 2019 and 2023 governorship elections.
According to community leaders, repeated letters, delegations, and consultations involving kingmakers, royal families, prominent indigenes, and traditional authorities were made to Governor Makinde seeking his approval for the selection process of the Aresa-Adu. They claimed the efforts, including visits to the Oyo State Secretariat in Ibadan, yielded no official action over the years.
Citing security threats and territorial violence across border towns, the community said it began taking internal steps, including the selection process of subordinate traditional rulers in some border communities under Iresa-Adu land, particularly areas bordering Osun and Kwara states. They linked the move to rising concerns over insecurity, land disputes, and alleged encroachment.
The development culminated in the installation of Oba Adeleke Isaiah Olayiwola Oninuola I as the Aregba of Iregba, a key town within Iresa-Adu territory said to have experienced longstanding boundary tensions.
Speaking with journalists, a community elder, Prince Olaleye, said the action became necessary due to prolonged delays.
“We had to take action because we are losing lives to insecurity and disputes, and we are losing lands to encroachers. We have made numerous appeals to the government on the Aresa-Adu stool without resolution,” he said.
Another elder, who preferred anonymity, described the decision as a product of “neglect and frustration,” adding that residents feared further escalation of security and land-related crises if traditional leadership gaps persisted.
The source also noted that the local government chairman, Hon. Isaiah Adegbite, had been engaged on the matter but insists there is nothing he can do any further without Governor Seyi Makinde’s approval.
Some community members further alleged that while Oyo Governor Makinde intervened in other traditional leadership disputes across Oyo State, including high-profile stools like the Aseyin, Soun, & Alaafin, despite ongoing court cases, the Aresa-Adu matter which has persisted for close to 8 years has remained unresolved.
Prince Oyerinde, another indigene, said the delay had taken an emotional toll on the community, noting that some High Chiefs like the Iyalode and Balogun of Aresa-Adu have died during the period the stool remained vacant.
Meanwhile, residents referenced recent security incidents in Iresa-Adu, including arrests of Cattle Rustlers by the Oyo State Police command, as evidence of the need for a substantive paramount ruler to coordinate local security and communal affairs.
This publication understands that as of press time, the Oyo State Government had not issued an official response to the community’s claims or the reported selection process.
