Iresaadu Stool: Counsel Demands End to 7-Year Impasse, Urges Makinde to Probe Ministry Officials

By Seyifunmi Odunuga 

​Legal counsel to the Aresaadu of Iresaadu, HRM Oba Abraham Olafimihan Adeyeye Oyerinde, has issued a formal appeal to Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, calling for an immediate resolution to a seven-year dispute over the monarch's official recognition and entitlements.  

​Barrister Stephen Adekunle Raji, speaking at a press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Ibadan, alleged that officials within the Oyo State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters have consistently obstructed the monarch, despite court judgments affirming his appointment. 

​Raji accused the Ministry of administrative misconduct, specifically highlighting a letter issued in September 2025 to the Chairman of Surulere Local Government. The letter reportedly directed the local government to initiate a process to nominate a "parallel" Aresaadu, based on a claim that a court had nullified Oba Adeyeye’s appointment—a claim the legal counsel categorically rejected.  

​"There is no court judgment in existence removing the monarch from office," Raji stated, insisting that multiple judicial pronouncements have dismissed challenges from the Emiolu Ruling House and upheld the current monarch’s status.  

​The legal team further alleged that the Ministry of Justice had provided professional advice to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters recommending that the monarch be recognized. According to Raji, this advice has been ignored. Furthermore, he noted that past directives from Governor Makinde concerning the investigation of alleged forgery of government documents related to the installation have not been acted upon.  

​Raji argued that the continued refusal to grant official recognition has destabilized the Iresaadu community. He cited an increase in lawlessness, unauthorized installationsof traditional chiefs, and the unlawful sale of communal lands as direct consequences of the governance vacuum created by the Ministry's stance.

​The counsel urged Governor Makinde to intervene by ordering the release of all outstanding entitlements and official paraphernalia due to the monarch, and by directing the Ministry to formally recognize his position. Additionally, he called for the immediate withdrawal of the September 2025 letter and requested an investigation into the conduct of the officials involved in the dispute.  

​Raji emphasized that such decisive action from the governor would uphold the rule of law and help restore stability and public confidence in the traditional institution within the state.