The legal battle over the traditional leadership of Ago-Oja has escalated to the apex court as the Alaafin of Oyo has filed a motion before the Supreme Court of Nigeria seeking to restrain the Oyo State Government from creating, recognizing, or elevating the chieftaincy stool of Baale Ago-Oja.
The motion on notice, filed by counsel Adeola Omotunde (SAN) under Appeal No. SC/404/2018, specifically requests interlocutory and mandatory injunctions against the Governor of Oyo State and the Attorney-General.
The suit aims to halt the proposed installation and crowning of Alhaji Ganiyu Busari as the Oloja of Ago-Oja, an event reportedly scheduled to take place on February 13, 2026, at Olivet High School, Oyo.
This legal intervention stems from a long-standing dispute initiated by the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi. The applicant argues that the stool in question was declared non-existent by an Oyo State High Court in 2007, a decision that was subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal in December 2017.
Despite these subsisting judgments, the Oyo State Government allegedly issued a fresh approval and elevated the chieftaincy via a state gazette dated January 17, 2025.
In the motion, the Alaafin’s legal team contends that any executive action to revive or elevate a stool previously nullified by competent courts constitutes a disregard for the judicial process and prejudices the pending appeal. Beyond stopping the coronation, the applicant is asking the Supreme Court to set aside the 2025 Government Gazette and restrain the state from dealing with Alhaji Busari in any capacity as a recognized chief.
Parallel to the court filing, the Alaafin’s counsel has issued a formal warning to Governor Seyi Makinde.
In a letter dated February 8, 2026, the legal team cautioned that proceeding with the installation would amount to “illegality and contempt of court.”
The letter reminded the Governor that since the Court of Appeal dismissed the initial challenge in 2017, the stool remains legally void, asserting that the government cannot “put something on nothing and expect it to stand.”
While the Supreme Court is yet to fix a date for the hearing of the motion, the legal team urged the state government to act in accordance with the rule of law to avoid ridiculing the judicial system or causing public embarrassment through a contested coronation.
