Appeal Court upholds removal of Ekiti monarch; Olugbesoye heads to Supreme Court

By Boye Oyeyemi

The Court of Appeal has upheld the removal of the Oluloro of Iloro-Ekiti, Oba James Oluwafemi Olugbesoye, from the throne, sustaining an earlier judgment of the Ekiti State High Court and setting the stage for a further legal battle over the traditional stool.

The appellate court delivered its judgment virtually via Zoom on Monday, August 31, 2026, with counsel to the plaintiff, Falade Olasunkanmi, saying the decision centred on the alleged failure of the monarch to complete traditional rites required under the customs of Iloro-Ekiti.

Falade said the court did not invalidate Olugbesoye’s selection or appointment but held that the performance of the prescribed traditional rites was a condition for his installation as king. He added that the certified true copy of the judgment was expected to be released Thursday.

However, counsel to the monarch, Ezekiel Agunbiade, rejected the interpretation of the judgment and said the legal team had commenced steps to challenge the decision at the Supreme Court. He disclosed that a notice of appeal was filed on the day the judgment was delivered, followed by an application seeking a stay of execution.

Agunbiade said the defence would study the certified judgment before making a detailed response, adding that the court had questioned evidence presented to establish that the required traditional rites and ceremony had been completed.

Reacting to the judgment, Olugbesoye said he was shocked by the decision and maintained that he had fulfilled all traditional requirements before his coronation. He also challenged the plaintiffs’ standing to institute the case, arguing that they were neither kingmakers nor contestants for the throne.

The monarch maintained that his installation was properly conducted and attended by traditional rulers and government officials, adding that photographic and documentary evidence of the ceremony had been presented before the court. On the disputed rites, he said the customs of Iloro-Ekiti and Ijero-Ekiti were historically connected, with some rites associated with the Oluloro traditionally performed in Ijero-Ekiti.

Olugbesoye said the legal battle would continue at the Supreme Court. He also claimed that the candidate reportedly presented by the opposing faction was dead and was scheduled to be buried Thursday.