The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has restrained the state government, ruling house and kingmakers from nominating or installing a parallel Aresaadu of Iresaadu in Surulere Local Government Area.
Justice K.A. Adedokun issued the interim injunction following an application by Oba Abraham Olafimihan Adeyeye, the Aresaadu of Iresaadu, who alleged that moves were being made to install another monarch despite his continued occupation of the throne.
The order, contained in Suit No. HOI/6/2026, specifically restrained the Oyo State Government, Emiolu Ruling House and kingmakers from “nominating, appointing or approving any candidate for the Aresaadu of Iresaadu Chieftaincy nor taking any step in that regard pending the hearing and final determination of the Motion on Notice.”
Justice Adedokun said the applicant had established that his rights were under threat and required protection by the court.
“Having read through the application and the two affidavits in support of same as well as Exhibits A, A1, B, C & D attached to same, it was established that the right of the Applicant is under threat and same needed to be protected by this Honourable Court,” the judge held.
The court consequently granted the application.
The fresh order followed what Oba Adeyeye described as the alleged failure of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters to respond to his letters and previous court orders, while allegedly proceeding with the process of nominating another candidate for the stool.
The Certified True Copy of the latest order was made available by the monarch on Monday, September 14, alongside other documents relating to the long-running dispute over the traditional stool.
Adeyeye had earlier appealed to Acting Governor Adebayo Lawal and Governor Seyi Makinde to stop the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Ademola Ojo, from allegedly facilitating the appointment of a parallel Aresaadu.
The monarch claimed that the ministry had issued letters in September 2025 and September 2026 directing the Chairman of Surulere Local Government to commence the process of nominating another candidate.
According to him, the directive was allegedly based on the claim that a court judgment had nullified his appointment.
Adeyeye, however, maintained that no court had declared the Aresaadu stool vacant.
He also cited an earlier Court of Appeal judgment, Appeal No. CA/I/291/2002, which he said established that it was not the turn of the Emiolu Ruling House to produce a candidate for the stool.
The monarch further stated that a suit filed by the Emiolu Ruling House challenging his appointment, Suit No. HOI/4/2019, was dismissed by the High Court, Orile-Igbon, on March 24, 2023, while the appeal was subsequently withdrawn.
Adeyeye said he was nominated by the Osunbiyi Ruling House after the stool became vacant following the death of Prince Jimoh Oloyede in December 2018.
He said his nomination was approved by the kingmakers appointed by the government, while the governor subsequently approved his appointment and issued him an instrument of office dated May 24, 2019.
He further disclosed that he instituted Suit No. HOI/19/2020 against the state government over what he described as refusal to recognise him as the substantive Aresaadu.
According to him, the court ruled in his favour on February 2, 2021, directing the government to recognise him and release his entitlements.
He alleged that the government failed to comply with the judgment despite there being no appeal against it.
Adeyeye also disclosed that several other suits connected to the chieftaincy dispute remain pending before the courts, including cases filed by the Emiolu Ruling House, kingmakers and some members of the Osunbiyi Ruling House.
He said contempt proceedings had also been filed against government officials allegedly involved in or aiding the disobedience of the subsisting court judgment.
The monarch alleged that the Ministry of Justice had issued legal advice to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters urging compliance with the court judgments and recognition of his position as Aresaadu.
He, however, claimed that the commissioner failed to act on the legal advice.
Adeyeye therefore urged the state government to immediately withdraw the letters directing the fresh nomination process and stop any meeting involving the Surulere Local Government chairman and the Emiolu Ruling House over the stool.
He also asked the government to nullify any process already commenced towards appointing another Aresaadu and sanction any official found to have violated subsisting court orders.
The monarch maintained that installing another Aresaadu while he remains on the throne would amount to creating a non-existent vacancy and undermine the authority of the courts.
