Why we chose not to be part of your public entertainment over Appeal Court judgment, Iralepo-in-Council slams Deji of Akure 

By KEMI KASUMU and OUR REPORTERS, Akure

“As for me, this Deji must be stopped at all cost because Ondo State cannot afford to go through a communal crisis at this time when we should be talking of how to leverage on the opportunities that we have in terms of ocean, oil and gas, bittlemen and glass resources that God has blessed us with in the state,” he advised.

In what many have now described as a deliberate ridicule of customs and traditions by the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, with his incessant use of the courts to upturn provisions of state chieftaincy laws to turn recognized traditional rulers to ordinary chiefs because they are destined to exist as the same language speakers, the Akure monarch has been told to his face why his drama in that regard is now enough.

This was as the Isinkan autonomous community under the traditional jurisdiction of His Royal Majesty Oba Oluwagbemiga Ojo Olofin-Adimula, the Iralepo of Isinkan, also a lawyer, finally breaks his silence over his purported suspension and appointment of a “so-called High Chief Iralepo of Isinkan” by the Deji of Akure, telling him that the Oba Iralepo of Isinkan throne is not a child’s play that can be susceptible to the theatre of absurdity,

The Deji is said to have been claiming an Appeal Court judgment that says he is the consenting authority on Akure South and Akure North local governments and another one that says Isinkan is land of Deji of Akure and has therefore, in trying to assert his authority, announced the suspension of the king whose appointment was not by him but by the Ondo State Governor having been chosen and presented by the people of the Kingdom.

The state government, as the singular consenting authority that is responsible for the appointment of an Oba at all levels in Ondo State, had appointed and recognized Oba Oluwagbemiga Ojo Olofin-Adimula following his selection through a process monitored by state and local government official in 2021, under the indisputable state chieftaincy laws that have no provision in any part for paramountcy, which the Deji has continued to arrogate to himself.

On rumours that the Deji is using an unnamed very powerful figure within or outside Ondo State to lobby judges in his desperate moves to ensure that all cases he brings before them in his chieftaincy cases against the Ondo State Government’s position are delivered to his favour, none of the persons approached in the state confirmed the allegation.

During our fact-check, however, sources within the government and the affected communities claimed not to be aware of such allegation but a particular source, who spoke under strict condition of anonymity, told our reporters how to tame the excesses he said of the Deji.

“First and foremost, this Deji has no business doing in community other than his own Akure. That is the law as made clear to him and others by the state government. But he has been trying to be smarter than the same authority with all the constitutional powers to make or mar him as the monarch of his town, the reason he is using the courts.

“Anyway, I am not aware of any lobbyist, but what I can say is that the Deji of Akure through activities of his Chief Press Secretary, had been in the habit of preempting court judgements as seen on his Facebook social media platforms. How does he know what the judgement of the court will be? To the extent that on judgement day, this Deji would go to court with masquerades and drums. There was a time like that, on a case not yet heard, when the Deji went to this sane Court of Appeal in Akure with masquerades and his CPS was already boasting on Facebook how the Iralepo and other targeted monarchs would know their masters. This kind of behaviour could be one of the reasons those that talked about him lobbying judges were saying so,” he said.

According to him, “While I believe the Isinkan traditional ruler, who is a sound lawyer, his chiefs and good people will pursue the marathon judicial walks, which the Deji has needlessly started against them like he does to others across Akure South and Akure North, to a logical conclusion and defeat him, I have listened to many other concerned indigenes who are calling on the Governor of Ondo State, Sir Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, to rise up to the Deji’s unmajestic behaviour before he turns Akure speaking communities and, by extension, Ondo State being overdue Chairman Ondo State Council of Obas to a war zone by his deliberate affront to constituted authorities of state while hiding behind the one finger of the judiciary.

“They say both the government of Ondo State and the affected autonomous township communities being victimized with court cases by the Deji of Akure should file petitions against any court judge or judges whose judgments they consider to be unfair and unjust at the National Judicial Council (NJC) under the Presidency of Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Honourable Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

“They are urging that the NJC from this time should start to take keen interest in how the Deji, after preempting court judgements, turns out to get what he predicted against the clear cut evidences of no case he presents before courts in Ondo State courts including Court of Appeal. If the courts can no longer be the last hope of the masses, that is invitation to chaos. God forbid but the Deji should be warned to be careful.

“As for me, this Deji must be stopped at all cost because Ondo State cannot afford to go through a communal crisis at this time when we should be talking of how to leverage on the opportunities that we have in terms of ocean, oil and gas, bittlemen and glass resources that God has blessed us with in the state,” he advised.

Iralepo’s stool not vacant

Speaking on the development in a statement released to the press Saturday night by the Iralepo-in-Council, signed by Chief Kayode Oluyi, the Olisa of Isinkan Kingdom, it was explained why the acclaimed Court of Appeal judgement is not yet ajagungbade (uhuru) for the Deji of Akure to rejoice as it is said to be the case of ‘he that laughs last laughs best.’

“The good people of Isinkan kingdom in Akure South Local Government have ordinarily resolved not to be part of the public entertainment since the judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered yesterday (Friday February 21, 2025) evening because the sacred and ancient throne of the Iralepo of Isinkan is not such a child’s play susceptible to the theatre of absurdity,” the statement said.

According to the statement titled, “ON THE PURPORTED APPOINTMENT OF A HIGH CHIEF IRALEPO OF ISINKAN BY THE DEJI OF AKURE: THE ANCIENT THRONE OF IRALEPO OF ISINKAN IS NOT A CHILD’S PLAY”, the Iralepo-in-Council, which challenged Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi to meet them at the Supreme Court, washed off the acclaimed High Chief Iralepo appointee, Mr. Henry Gbenga Adeyeye, as the same man who contested against Oba Oluwagbemiga Ojo Olofin-Adimula in the selection process to pick Oba (not High Chief) Iralepo of Isinkan in 2021 but lost as he was defeated.

“However, in deference to the concerns of our friends and well wishers, it is important to state that Mr. Henry Gbenga Adeyeye being now said to be appointed as High Chief Iralepo of Isinkan by the Deji of Akure contested with Oba Olugbenga Ojo for the throne of Iralepo in 2021 and was rejected by the Isinkan people for reasons bordering on his suitability and eligibility under customary law. He has since been hibernating in the palace of the Deji.

“For the avoidance of any doubt, we the people of Isinkan know ourselves by genealogy and proper birth. Besides, the Iralepo of Isinkan has from creation and time immemorial only been appointed by the people of Isinkan and never by the Deji of Akure nor subject to his approval.

“Out of our immense respect for Mr. Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, and in deference to the ongoing Inauguration Ceremony taking place in Ondo State, we implore our people to peacefully go about their businesses and not do or be involved in anything that would portray the great peace loving people of Isinkan as discourteous rabble rousing bumpkins.

“While we take due cognizance of the judgment of the Court of Appeal and exercising our further rights in that respect under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we wish to assure all that the throne of the Iralepo of Isinkan is not vacant as Oba Oluwagbemiga Ajimokunola Olofin-Adimula (Arulewolasi III), the Olusi Obarisa, remains, and sits on the throne and in the palace of the Iralepo of Isinkan,” Chief Kayode Oluyi, the Olisa of Isinkan Kingdom, said.