Alaafin Heads to Supreme Court Over Elevation of Oyo Baale
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, has approached the Supreme Court seeking an order to restrain the Oyo State Government from creating or recognising the Baale Ago-Oja chieftaincy stool pending the determination of an appeal before the apex court.
In a motion dated 30 January 2026, the monarch is asking the court to halt the appointment or recognition of Alhaji Ganiyu Busari as Baale Ago-Oja and to stop his planned coronation as Oloja of Ago-Oja, scheduled for February 13, 2026 at Olivet High School, Oyo.
Counsel to the Alaafin, led by Adeola Omotunde (SAN), argued that the chieftaincy stool was declared non-existent by the Oyo State High Court in 2007, a decision affirmed by the Court of Appeal in 2017.
They contended that any move to revive or elevate the stool would disregard subsisting judgments and undermine the appeal before the Supreme Court.
The legal team further described the state’s approval of the elevation, published in a January 2025 Gazette, as unlawful and contemptuous.
The appeal and motion have yet to be assigned a hearing date.
Abiodun Ogunrinde is a Linguist and Journalist with considerable years of experience in Print Journalism. He blends creativity with a sense of reporting that addresses public concern and human interests.
