Former Osun Monarch Sues to Stop Successor's Appointment

The former Apetumodu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Joseph Oloyede, has taken legal action against Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and other state officials. He wants to stop the government from choosing a new traditional ruler for the area.

Mr Oloyede has dual citizenship in the US and Nigeria. He was sentenced in August 2025 to 56 months, which is four years and eight months, in prison in the US for a $4.2 million COVID-19 relief fund fraud.

After his conviction, Mr Adeleke removed him from his position as traditional ruler. This came after the Osun State government got the Certified True Copy of the judgement from the US court in May.

The state government then declared the Apetumodu stool vacant and announced plans to start the process of appointing a new monarch.

But Mr Oloyede is fighting against his removal as the traditional ruler of Ipetumodu. Punch reported that he filed a suit at the Osun State High Court in Ile-Ife, asking the court to stop Mr Adeleke and other defendants from filling the stool until the main case is resolved.

This application is part of suit number HIF/50/2026. Mr Oloyede is the second claimant in this case, along with three other members of the Latimogun Royal Family from the Aribile Ruling House of Ipetumodu.

The other claimants are Oyewusi Adewusi, Isaac Adewuni, and Abiodun Oyetoro. They are all princes and joined the suit on behalf of their family members.

The defendants in the case include Mr Adeleke, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Oluwole Jimi-Bada, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Dosu Babatunde, Afolabi Adedeji, the Asalu of Ipetumodu and head of the kingmakers Adesoye Babalola, the Malefon of Ipetumodu, and Ife North Local Government.

Why the Monarch Went to Court

In the application dated 16 September 2026, Mr Oloyede asked the court to issue an injunction to stop the defendants and their agents from filling the stool or appointing someone else in his place until the main case is decided.

He claimed the state government did not formally inform him of any wrongdoing before removing him. The motion referred to a 7 May deposition order reportedly signed by Mr Adeleke. Mr Oloyede said this was published in The Guardian newspaper on 11 May.

He argued that neither the governor nor the relevant state officials told him about any infraction before the removal. The motion includes this statement: "There was no time the 2nd claimant/applicant (Mr Oloyede) was informed by the 1st-3rd defendants of any wrongdoing before the issuance of the publication contained in the said Guardian Newspaper and the purported instrument or order of deposition."

The application aims to keep the stool vacant while the court looks at the main dispute.

However, the court hearing on Monday could not proceed because of a disagreement about how hearing notices were served to the parties. Only the claimants' lawyer, O. Ogbewe, and the fifth defendant's lawyer Soji Oyetayo, were present in court.

Mr Ogbewe told the court that the defendants had received the necessary court documents. He asked for an adjournment to give the claimants time to serve all the defendants.

In his ruling, Dapo Adeniji, the presiding judge, postponed the case to 21 January 2027. He ordered that new hearing notices be issued and served on the defendants.

When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, Osun State Governor’s spokesperson Olawale Rasheed said he sent the request for comments to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. He promised to share the response with the reporter.