. Bashorun, five others insist on Prince Gbadegesin

…as Makinde appoints two warrant kingmakers, Agbaakin, Samu to conduct fresh selection process 

The controversy surrounding the selection of a new Alaafin of Oyo took another dimension on Thursday as five kingmakers in the ancient town kicked against Governor Seyi Makinde’s directive to initiate a fresh selection process to pick a new Alaafin of Oyo.

The five kingmakers insisted that Prince Lukman Gbadegesin has already been chosen as the Alaafin-elect, stressing that the governor’s plan to kickstart a fresh selection process was unnecessary. 

The five kingmakers opposed to Governor Makinde’s plan include the Basorun of Oyo, High Chief Yusuf Akinade; the Lagunna of Oyo, High Chief Wakeel Akindele; the Akinniku of Oyo, High Chief Hamzat Yusuf; a warrant chief standing in for Asipa of Oyo, Chief Wahab Oyetunji; and a warrant chief standing in for Alapinni of Oyo, Chief Gbadebo Mufutau.

The selection of a new monarch since the demise of Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, who passed on on April 22, 2022, has been mired in controversy. The revered monarch died at the age of 81 after a 52-year reign.

But the kingmakers, in a letter addressed to Makinde and signed by their lawyer, Adekunle Sobaloju (SAN), declared the governor’s move for a fresh process as disregarding a pending court matter on the selection process of the new Alaafin of Oyo.

According to the letter made available to newsmen on Thursday, “We have just been reliably informed by our clients that you have just through the Oyo State Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs and Chairmen of Atiba and Oyo East Local Government appointed (i) Chief Odurinde Olusegun (Alajagba of Ajagba) (ii) Chief Ganiyu Ajiboye (Alago-Oja of Ago Oja) as warrant kingmakers to join High Chief Asimiyu Atanda (Agbaakin of Oyo) and High Chief Lamidi Oyewale (Samu of Oyo) to kickstart the process of selecting another candidate to fill the vacant stool of Alafin of Oyo.

“The two local government chairmen and the said warrant chiefs and High Chief Asimiyu Atanda (Agbaakin of Oyo) and High Chief Lamidi Oyewale (Samu of Oyo) who are not in support of the decision of the majority of the kingmakers that selected Prince Lukman Adelodun Gbadegesin as the Alafin-elect were summoned today, 9th January 2025 to the office of the Oyo State Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs where they were ordered to commence a fresh process to fill the vacant stool of Alafin of Oyo.”

The lawyer described the governor’s move as illegal and disrespectful to the judiciary, noting that the matter is still pending in court.

Sobaloju cautioned that disregarding the court’s authority undermines governance and violates the constitution, saying the move was akin to a previous incident where Governor Makinde disregarded court proceedings to dissolve democratically elected local government chairmen.

The lawyer added, “Proceeding to commence a fresh process for the filling of the vacant stool of Alafin of Oyo would be subjudice and tantamount to lawlessness and disregard of the superior courts of record, an act which Your Excellency ought to distance yourself from.

“We, therefore, once more request and urge Your Excellency to suspend any plan to kick start fresh process for the filling of the vacant stool of Alafin of Oyo during the pendency of a motion for injunction, pending appeal in obedience to law and integrity of our courts.”