Court restrains Adeleke from appointing monarch for Osun community

An Osun State High Court sitting in Ede has restrained Governor Ademola Adeleke from appointing or installing a new Olojo of Ojo in Egbedore Local Government Area of the state pending the determination of a motion before it.

The order followed suit no. HED/18/2026, filed by A. Mikaheel, on behalf of Princes Babatunde Hammed Adegoke, Taofeek Adekunle Adegoke, Nathaniel Olaniyi Adelakun, Abiodun Adelakun, and Olukunle Oyetunji.

They filed the suit on behalf of themselves and other members of the ruling house against Adeleke, the state Attorney-General, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and the Egbedore Traditional Council.

Other defendants are Prince Mike Abiola, representing members of the Onimolodun Ruling House, and High Chief Falowo Jamiu Adebayo, representing the kingmakers and warrant chiefs involved in the selection of the Olojo.

The applicants had sought, “An order of interim injunction restraining the defendants/respondents, their allies, agents, privies, successors and/or whosoever is claiming through them from installing, appointing, declaring, recognising and/or accepting any candidate as Olojo of Ojo, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated 10th March, 2026.

“Any other order(s) as the court may deem fit to make in the present circumstances.”

Justice K. Akano, in granting the order dated October 29, 2026, a copy of which was obtained in Osogbo on Friday, stated, “An order of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the defendants, their allies, agents, privies, successors and/or whosoever is claiming through them from installing, appointing, declaring, recognising and/or accepting any candidate as Olojo of Ojo, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed on 11th March, 2026.

“Issued at Ede under the seal of the court and the hand of the presiding judge this 29th day of October, 2026.”

The PUNCH had reported that four ruling houses in Ijabe, Odo-Otin Local Government Area, had sued the state government over its decision to nullify the town’s 2018 amended chieftaincy declaration and approve a new Onijabe.

The families are challenging the Osun State Executive Council’s decision of October 23, 2026, which reportedly nullified the existing declaration and approved the appointment of Babatunde Omotosho Tajudeen as Onijabe of Ijabeland.

The state government announced Tajudeen’s appointment on October 24, alongside the confirmation of other traditional rulers, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi.