Alaafin Stool: Suspend Fresh Selection Process, Oyo Mesi Faction To Oyo Govt

A faction of the Oyo town kingmakers, known as the Oyo Mesi, have rejected any plan by the Oyo State Government to commence a fresh process to select the Alaafin of Oyo.

The kingmakers, in a letter by their counsel Kunle Sobaloju (SAN), written to the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, warned him against restarting the process to select a new Alaafin of Oyo.

The kingmakers through the Sobaloju, were reacting to a media report suggesting the move to discard the process concluded initially by the kingmakers

Sobaloju in the letter advised the governor not to do anything that could prejudice pending appeals in courts.

Following the death of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, on April 22, 2022, there was a crisis as the Oyomesi engaged the Oyo State government in a legal battle over the selection of the new monarch.

After a nomination process by the valid ruling house, the kingmakers met, screened the 82 contestants and chose Prince Lukman Gbadegesin, whose name was forwarded to the Oyo State government for ratification.

Following opposition to the choice of Gbadegesin by three of the kingmakers, the Oyo State government ordered a repeat of the exercise.

The majority of kingmakers, led by the Bashorun of Oyo, High Chief Yusuf Ayoola, however, took the government to court.

The Ibadan-based lawyer representing the Oyomesi in court, in his letter to Makinde, stated, “We wish to restate that in view of the pending appeals in Appeal No: CA/IB/134/24 High Chief Yusuf Akinade Ayoola Layinka & Ors v. Governor of Oyo State & Ors and the pending application for interlocutory orders of injunction restraining Your Excellency, servants, agents, assigns, and or privies or otherwise and howsoever 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 of Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy and or removing the appellants/applicants as the kingmakers of the Oyo Alaafin or dissolving the Oyomesi in Council and or appointing or selecting warrant chiefs to conduct or start a fresh process or exercise for the filling of the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo, pending the determination of the appeal against the ruling of Justice Akintola of High Court of Oyo, delivered on 16th ofApril 2024, it would be subjudice for Your Excellency to take any step that may render the decisions of the Court of Appeal nugatory.”

He said if the governor proceeded to commence the fresh process to fill the vacant stool of the Alaafin of Oyo, such action “would be sub judice and tantamount to lawlessness and disregard of the superior courts of record, an act which Your Excellency ought to distance yourself from.”

He said the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, had at various times frowned on parties before the court engaging in self-help.

“Particular reference is made to the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Ajuwon & Ors v. Governor of Oyo State & Ors. (2021) LPELR-55339(SC), where the Supreme Court states ‘…it is unthinkable for a democratically elected governor to embark on unwholesome and undemocratic tendencies.

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