Oyo Mesi faction objects to fresh selection process for Alaafin

The Oyo Mesi, a faction of the Oyo town kingmakers, have kicked against any plan by the Oyo State Government to begin a fresh process to select the Alaafin of Oyo.

In a letter to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, by Counsel for the kingmakers, Kunle Sobaloju (SAN), the Oyo Mesi warned against restarting the process to select a new Alaafin of Oyo.

The kingmakers 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, crisis ensued as the Oyo Mesi engaged the Oyo State government in a legal battle over the selection of the new Alaafin.

After a nomination process by the valid ruling house, the kingmakers converged and screened the 82 contestants, choosing 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.

In the letter by lawyer representing the kingmakers to the governor, “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 go ahead to begin 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 he said the governor should distance himself from.