Ondo town appeals to governor over controversial chieftaincy dispute
By Boye Oyeyemi –
The Irun Akoko community in Ondo State has appealed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene in a controversial chieftaincy dispute that threatens to divide the town. The appeal follows a request by Hon. Olanrewaju Adeyemi for recognition as the “Owa Adimula” of a purported Oke-Oro community.
Speaking at a press conference in Akure, Chief Paul Oguntimehin, the Asiwaju of Irun Akoko, and the community’s lawyer, Barrister Olusegun Adu Peters, said the matter is currently before Justice B.J. Akinwumi of the Ondo State High Court, Ikare Akoko.
They represented the Onirun of Irun, Oba Samuel Bayode Agboola, the traditional chiefs, and the entire community, stressing that the community rejects any attempts to legitimise the disputed title.
Barrister Adu urged the governor to dismiss any request for approval of the “Owa Adimula” title, noting that suit number HCIK/20/CIV/2025 challenges the creation of the non-existent Oke-Oro community. He added that the defendants have been served court processes, with the case adjourned to February 18, 2026, for hearing.
He recalled that in 2014, Adeyemi’s associates filed suit number HIK/24/2014 seeking recognition for the Oke-Oro community, but the court dismissed their claims. He also pointed out that the Ajama Commission of Inquiry and its White Paper of August 24, 2024, did not recognise any Oke-Oro community.
Chief Oguntimehin appealed to Governor Aiyedatiwa and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to reject the plot. He suggested that if the government wanted to reward political loyalists, it should do so through official appointments rather than creating illegal traditional stools.
The Asiwaju lamented that while the community had made notable progress in development, including school renovations and the establishment of a Civil Defence post, one individual had been parading himself as an oba since 2014.
He warned that creating a parallel traditional institution would undermine peace and development in Irun Akoko, urging the state government to prevent any polarisation of the ancient town.
