- Alaafin Seeks Supreme Court Halt On Ago-Oja Chieftaincy Elevation
- Court previously declared Baale Ago-Oja stool non-existent in 2007 and 2017.
- Government warned coronation risks contempt of court and lawlessness perception.
The Alaafin of Oyo has approached the Supreme Court to stop the Oyo State Government from recognising or elevating the Baale Ago-Oja chieftaincy, warning that any coronation of Alhaji Ganiyu Busari as Oloja of Ago-Oja would amount to contempt of court.
EDITOR’S PICKS
- Health Workers Warn as Antivenom Gaps Undermine Snakebite Treatment
- Tinubu Approves ₦40bn Zero-Interest Loans for University Lecturers, Staff
- 5 Health Risks Men Face After Age 40
EKO HOT BLOG reports that in a motion dated January 30, 2026, filed under Appeal No. SC/404/2018, the monarch is seeking interlocutory and mandatory injunctions against Governor Seyi Makinde and the state Attorney-General, pending the final determination of an ongoing appeal.
The motion notes that the Baale Ago-Oja stool was declared non-existent by the Oyo State High Court in 2007, a ruling upheld by the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division, in 2017. Adeola Omotunde (SAN), representing the Alaafin, argued, “Any attempt to revive, recognise or elevate a chieftaincy stool already declared non-existent by courts of competent jurisdiction amounts to a disregard of subsisting judgments.”
The Alaafin is specifically requesting that the apex court restrain the state from proceeding with Busari’s installation, initially scheduled for February 13, 2026, at Olivet High School, Oyo, or any other venue. The motion also seeks the nullification of Oyo State Gazette No. 01, Vol. 50 of January 17, 2025, “in so far as it relates to the elevation of the Baale Ago-Oja chieftaincy.”
A letter sent to Governor Makinde on February 8, 2026, reminded the government that the chieftaincy had been nullified by Justice S. Olu Akinola in Suit No. HOY/46/2006, declaring the title “Baale of Ago-Oja” non-existent and Busari’s prior approval null and void. The appellate court dismissed Busari’s subsequent appeal in 2017, while his Supreme Court appeal, filed in 2018, has stalled.
Omotunde’s chambers described the state’s recent actions as unconstitutional, stressing that proceeding with the coronation would portray the government as lawless. “It is contrary to law, logic and common sense for a chieftaincy declared non-existent by a court of competent jurisdiction to be resuscitated by executive action,” the letter stated.
The Supreme Court has yet to fix a date to hear the appeal and accompanying motion.
