Deposed Osun monarch convicted in US files suit against appointment of successor

The deposed Apetumodu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Joseph Oloyede, has sued Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and other state officials, seeking to stop the government from appointing a successor to the traditional stool.

Mr Oloyede, who holds both US and Nigerian citizenship, was convicted and sentenced in August 2025 to 56 months (four years and eight months) in prison in the US over a $4.2 million COVID-19 relief fund fraud.

Following his conviction, Mr Adeleke removed the monarch after the Osun State government received the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgement of the US court in May.

The state government subsequently declared the Apetumodu stool vacant and said it would begin the process of appointing a new monarch.

However, Mr Oloyede is challenging his removal as the traditional ruler of Ipetumodu.

Punch reported that in a suit filed before the Osun State High Court sitting in Ile-Ife, the monarch asked the court to restrain Mr Adeleke and other defendants from taking steps to fill the stool pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The application forms part of suit numbered HIF/50/2026, in which Mr Oloyede is listed as the second claimant alongside three other members of the Latimogun Royal Family of the Aribile Ruling House of Ipetumodu.

Other claimants are Oyewusi Adewusi, Isaac Adewuni and Abiodun Oyetoro, all of whom are princes and joined the suit on behalf of other members of the family.

Those sued as defendants include Mr Adeleke. The rest are the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada; the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dosu Babatunde; Afolabi Adedeji; the Asalu of Ipetumodu and head of the kingmakers, Adesoye Babalola; the Malefon of Ipetumodu; and Ife North Local Government.

Why the monarch went to court

In the application dated 16 September 2026, Mr Oloyede asked the court to issue an interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants, their agents and representatives from filling the stool or appointing another person in his place until the substantive suit is determined.

He argued that the state government did not formally notify him of any alleged wrongdoing before taking steps to remove him.

The motion referred to a 7 May deposition order reportedly signed by Mr Adeleke, which the claimant said was published in The Guardian newspaper on 11 May.

Mr Oloyede argued that he was not informed by the governor or the relevant state officials of any infraction before the purported removal.

The motion partly reads: “There was no time the 2nd claimant/applicant (Mr Oloyede)  was informed by the 1st-3rd defendants of any wrongdoing before the issuance of the publication contained in the said Guardian Newspaper and the purported instrument or order of deposition.”

The application seeks to preserve the stool while the court considers the substantive dispute. 

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However, the court hearing on Monday was stalled following a dispute over the service of hearing notices on the parties.

Only the claimants’ counsel, O. Ogbewe, and the fifth defendant’s lawyer Soji Oyetayo, appeared in court.

Mr Ogbewe told the court that the defendants had been served with the relevant court processes.

He urged the court to adjourn the matter to allow the claimants to serve all the defendants.

In his ruling, Dapo Adeniji, the presiding  judge adjourned the case to 21 January 2027 and directed that fresh hearing notices be issued and served on the defendants.

When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, the Osun State Governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said he had forwarded the publication’s request for comments to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and promised to share the response with the reporter.