Oyo: Gbadegesin prays court to void Owoade’s appointment as Alaafin

Prince Luqman Gbadegesin, the kingmakers’ selected candidate for the Alaafin of Oyo stool, has taken legal action against Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, challenging the appointment of Prince Abimbola Owoade as the new Alaafin of Oyo.

Gbadegesin accused Governor Makinde of overstepping the powers of the Oyomesi (the traditional kingmakers) and violating the Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration of 1961.

He argued that the governor’s decision, reportedly based on Ifa consultation, contravened a December 19, 2022, judgment by the Oyo State High Court, which deemed the use of Ifa consultation in the selection process unlawful as it was not included in the declaration.

Gbadegesin has filed a suit at the Oyo State High Court, seeking to nullify the appointment, approval, and presentation of the staff of office to Prince Owoade. Through his legal counsel, Adekunle Sobaloju, SAN, Gbadegesin served a pre-action notice to Governor Makinde, asserting that the governor’s actions violated the Oyo State Chiefs’ Law of 2000.

The prince also refuted allegations of bribery against two Oyomesi members, stating that these claims, made more than a year after his selection, lacked substance and were neither formally communicated to the governor nor investigated.