The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, has asked the Supreme Court to stop the Oyo State Government from creating or recognising the Baale Ago-Oja chieftaincy stool. He is seeking a halt to all related actions until an appeal before the court is finally decided.
In a motion filed on January 30, 2026, the monarch is requesting that the court prevent the state government from appointing or recognising Alhaji Ganiyu Busari as the Baale Ago-Oja. The motion also seeks to stop the planned coronation of Busari as Oloja of Ago-Oja, scheduled for February 13, 2026, at Olivet High School, Oyo.
The Alaafin’s lawyers, led by Adeola Omotunde (SAN), argued that the chieftaincy stool was previously declared non-existent by the Oyo State High Court in 2007. This decision was later upheld by the Court of Appeal in 2017. They warned that reviving or elevating the stool now would ignore past court judgments and could harm the appeal currently before the Supreme Court.
According to the motion, any attempt to recognise or elevate the Baale Ago-Oja chieftaincy is illegal and amounts to contempt of court. The Alaafin is therefore asking the Supreme Court to set aside the Oyo State Gazette that approved the elevation of the stool in January 2025.
The lawyers also sent a letter to Governor Seyi Makinde, reminding him that the chieftaincy has been the subject of prolonged legal battles. They warned that going ahead with the coronation would make the state government appear lawless and disrespectful of court rulings.
The letter noted that Busari had previously appealed the court decisions but failed to file his brief of argument, effectively abandoning his appeal. Despite this, the state government allegedly issued Busari a fresh approval letter and elevated the chieftaincy.
The Alaafin’s legal team is now asking the Supreme Court to grant an injunction to stop the coronation and all other related activities, saying it would be wrong to put “something on nothing and expect it to stand.” The appeal and motion are yet to be fixed for hearing.
