Ipetumodu Ruling Houses Formally Petition Governor Adeleke to Depose Jailed Monarch, Declare Apetumodu Stool Vacant

The protracted tussle over the Apetumodu stool in Ipetumodu, Osun State, has reached a critical stage as the town’s two ruling houses Aribile and Fagbemokun have united to demand the immediate deposition of the jailed monarch, Oba Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede.

The unprecedented joint request was contained in a letter dated October 13, 2025, addressed to Governor Ademola Adeleke through the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. The petition specifically calls for the Governor to officially remove Oba Oloyede and declare the stool vacant, citing his criminal conviction in the United States.

Oba Oloyede was sentenced to 56 months (over four years) in a US Federal Court in August 2025 after pleading guilty to a multi-million-dollar fraud involving COVID-19 relief funds. The ruling houses argue that the conviction, which is for an offence of “moral turpitude,” has gravely tarnished the revered traditional office, making his continuation on the throne untenable.

The joint letter implored Governor Adeleke to act swiftly based on the Chiefs Law of Osun State, noting that the stool has remained practically suspended for over three years due to the Oba’s prolonged absence before and after his arrest.

In addition to the deposition, the ruling houses requested that the State Ministry of Justice domesticate the certified copy of the U.S. judgment with the appropriate Nigerian registry. This action, they noted, would provide the necessary administrative record to support the formal declaration of the Apetumodu throne as vacant, thereby paving the way for a transparent succession process that will restore the dignity of the ancient town.

The Governor had previously acknowledged the situation as “ugly” and instructed the appropriate ministry to take action, indicating the state government is already engaging with the development. The unified demand from both royal families now piles significant pressure on the state executive to act decisively on the highly sensitive chieftaincy matter.