Oyo State High Court: Aresaadu Injunction Halts Parallel Monarch Nomination

• The Oyo State High Court has issued an interim injunction preventing the state government and others from appointing a parallel Aresaadu of Iresaadu.
• Justice K.A. Adedokun granted the order on Tuesday, protecting Oba Adeyeye's rights as the incumbent monarch, pending a final court decision.
• Oba Adeyeye sought the injunction after alleging the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters disregarded previous court orders and his appeals.
• The Ministry, through Commissioner Ademola Ojo, allegedly directed the Surulere Local Government to nominate a new Aresaadu in September 2025 and 2026, claiming Oba Adeyeye's appointment was nullified.
• Prior court rulings, including a Court of Appeal decision and the dismissal of a challenge by the Emiolu Ruling House, support Oba Adeyeye's claim to the throne.

The Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan, has issued an interim injunction preventing the state government, the Emiolu Ruling House, and the Kingmakers from nominating or installing a parallel Aresaadu of Iresaadu.

The Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan, has issued an interim injunction preventing the state government, the Emiolu Ruling House, and the Kingmakers from nominating or installing a parallel Aresaadu of Iresaadu. Justice K.A. Adedokun delivered the ruling on Tuesday, specifically restraining any steps toward appointing a new monarch while Oba Abraham Oyerinde, also known as Oba Adeyeye, remains the incumbent Aresaadu of Iresaadu in Surulere Local Government Area. The court's decision, recorded under suit No. HOI/6/2026, was granted following arguments presented by Mr. S. Raji, legal counsel for the applicant, Oba Adeyeye.

The injunction explicitly prohibits the aforementioned parties from nominating, appointing, or approving any candidate for the Aresaadu of Iresaadu Chieftaincy. This prohibition will remain in effect pending the full hearing and final determination of the Motion on Notice. The court found merit in the application, concluding that the applicant's rights were under threat and required immediate judicial protection. This interim order was deemed a deserving instance for such intervention, based on the application, two supporting affidavits, and attached exhibits A, A1, B, C, and D. The Certified True Copy of this significant court order was made public by Oba Adeyeye on Monday, September 14, 2026, alongside other relevant chieftaincy documents and existing court judgments.

Oba Adeyeye sought this fresh Oyo State High Court Aresaadu injunction after alleging that the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters had disregarded his previous communications and existing court orders. He claimed the Ministry proceeded with a nomination process for a new Aresaadu despite his continued occupancy of the throne. This recent legal action follows a series of appeals made by the monarch to state authorities regarding what he describes as his ongoing 'travail' concerning the Aresaadu throne since 2019.

Specifically, Oba Adeyeye had appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde and Acting Governor Chief Adebayo Lawal on September 6, 2026. In his appeal, he urged them to intervene and halt the alleged actions of Ademola Ojo, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters. The Commissioner is accused of attempting to appoint a parallel Aresaadu, reportedly in defiance of subsisting court orders. Oba Adeyeye's concerns were also articulated in a personally signed statement released to journalists, detailing the Ministry's alleged directives to the chairman of Surulere Local Government to initiate the nomination process for a new Aresaadu in September 2025 and again in September 2026. These directives were purportedly based on a claim that a court judgment had nullified Oba Adeyeye's appointment, a claim he vehemently denies, asserting that no competent court has declared the throne vacant. He had previously made a similar public appeal in an open letter published in Tribune on October 28, 2025, when the Ministry issued an earlier letter.

The current Oyo State High Court Aresaadu injunction reinforces a series of prior legal decisions that support Oba Adeyeye's claim to the chieftaincy. A significant ruling by the Court of Appeal, under Appeal No. CA/I/291/2002, previously determined that it was not the turn of the Emiolu Ruling House to present a candidate for the Aresaadu throne. This appellate court decision directly contradicts the alleged basis for the Ministry's recent attempts to initiate a new nomination process.

Furthermore, a subsequent legal challenge, Suit No. HOI/4/2019, which was filed by the Emiolu Ruling House to contest Oba Adeyeye's appointment, was dismissed by the court. Crucially, no appeal was lodged against this dismissal, solidifying the legal standing of the incumbent monarch. These established legal precedents underscore Oba Adeyeye's position and highlight the alleged disregard for judicial pronouncements by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, leading to the necessity of the recent interim order.

Source: Original reporting via The PUNCH