The monarch made the allegation in a letter addressed to the Acting Governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Lawal, appealing for urgent intervention in the longstanding dispute surrounding the Aresaadu stool.
According to Oba Oyerinde, the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, headed by Commissioner Ademola Ojo, recently directed the Chairman of Surulere Local Government to instruct the Emiolu Ruling House to nominate a candidate for the Aresaadu throne. He described the move as an attempt to create a “parallel Aresaadu” despite his continued occupation of the stool.
The monarch said a similar directive was issued in September 2025 and alleged that the latest instruction was based on the claim that a court judgment had nullified his appointment. He rejected that position, insisting that no court of competent jurisdiction had declared the throne vacant.
Oba Oyerinde said he was nominated by the Osunbiyi Ruling House after the death of the previous Aresaadu, Oba Jimoh Oloyede, in 2018. He maintained that the nomination was approved by the government-appointed kingmakers before his appointment was subsequently approved by the then governor, Abiola Ajimobi, who presented him with his staff and instrument of office in May 2019.
The monarch also cited several court proceedings in support of his position. He said a case brought by the Emiolu Ruling House challenging his appointment was dismissed by the High Court in Orile-Igbon in March 2023 and that an appeal against the decision was later withdrawn in May 2024. He further said a separate suit he instituted over recognition of his position resulted in a February 2021 judgment directing the state government to recognise him as the substantive Aresaadu and release his entitlements.
The dispute, however, has a longer history. Earlier reports from the community have documented opposition to Oba Oyerinde's emergence, with members of the Emiolu Ruling House arguing that the traditional rotation of the stool should have given their family the opportunity to produce the next monarch. Those claims form part of the broader chieftaincy dispute and should not be confused with a final determination of the current legal position.
In 2024, Oba Oyerinde also sought the intervention of Governor Seyi Makinde over what he described as a failure by the state authorities to recognise him and pay his traditional entitlements. His lawyer at the time said the matter had the potential to create tension in the community if not properly addressed.
In his latest appeal, the monarch asked the Acting Governor to order the withdrawal of the ministry's letters and stop meetings involving the Surulere Local Government and Emiolu Ruling House over the nomination of another candidate. He also urged the government to resolve the dispute through the courts and existing legal processes rather than create what he considers a parallel traditional institution.
The latest allegations have not been accompanied by a public response from the Oyo State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters in the reports reviewed. Consequently, the monarch's claims that the government is attempting to unlawfully dethrone him remain allegations, while the precise legal status of the competing claims surrounding the Aresaadu stool remains a matter for the relevant authorities and courts.
The dispute is significant because traditional institutions remain closely connected to community leadership and local stability. Any attempt to alter the occupancy of a contested traditional stool without clear legal and administrative resolution could deepen an already prolonged dispute. The immediate issue, therefore, is whether the state government will clarify the basis for the latest nomination directive and how it relates to the existing court proceedings.
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