Fresh tension has erupted in Ikirun, headquarters of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun State, as six kingmakers publicly aligned with Governor Ademola Adeleke over moves to prevent a breakdown of law and order surrounding the disputed Akinrun stool.
The kingmakers accused the Eesa of Ikirunland, Chief Abdulkareem Adetoyese, of allegedly making moves capable of destabilising the ancient town amid the lingering controversy over the vacant royal stool. Their intervention came barely hours after the Osun State Government reportedly directed security agencies to forestall any attempt to trigger violence in the community.
In a joint statement obtained in Osogbo on Thursday, the six chiefs — Chief Diekola Toogun (Odofin), Chief Oluwole Atoyebi (Ojomu), Chief Bamidele Onifade (Elemon), Chief Raheem Okunlola (Jagun), Chief Sulaiman Olaore (Oluawo Onifa), and Chief Azeez Muritala (Obaale) — declared support for Governor Adeleke’s directive to the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, to maintain peace in Ikirun.
The chiefs alleged that Adetoyese had been misleading residents into believing that certain interests possessed the authority to appoint a monarch outside the framework recognised by the state government.
“It is on record that Chief Abdulkareem Adetoyese, Eesa of Ikirunland, has been engaging in nocturnal moves to violently disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in the town by misleading the people of Ikirun into believing they have the power to appoint a monarch,” the statement read.
They argued that the claim contradicted the official government position already contained in the White Paper released by the state government on January 25, 2024 regarding the Akinrun stool dispute. The chiefs further commended the government for issuing a fresh warning against violence and urged residents to remain law-abiding pending the resolution of legal disputes surrounding the throne.
The latest development has again brought the prolonged kingship tussle in Ikirun into public focus, nearly two years after former governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s controversial traditional ruler appointments were reversed by the Adeleke administration.
The controversy dates back to November 2022 when Governor Ademola Adeleke reversed the appointments of traditional rulers installed by the previous administration during its final days in office. Among the affected monarchs was Oba Olalekan Akadiri, whose emergence as Akinrun of Ikirun later became the subject of legal and political disputes.
In January 2024, the Osun State Government officially declared the Akinrun stool vacant, insisting that all interested parties should maintain the status quo pending the determination of an appeal already before the Court of Appeal. The government said the decision followed recommendations contained in a White Paper issued after investigations into executive orders signed at the beginning of the Adeleke administration.
Despite the government’s position, disagreements among kingmakers and royal stakeholders in Ikirun have continued to generate anxiety within the community, with concerns that rival camps could mobilise supporters and destabilise the town.
However, Adetoyese denied all allegations levelled against him, insisting he had never taken steps capable of undermining peace in Ikirunland.
Speaking when contacted, the Eesa described himself as the head of the kingmakers whose primary responsibility was to preserve harmony in the community.
“I never made any nocturnal move to truncate the peace of Ikirunland. I am the head of the kingmakers and my duty is to ensure peace at every point in time,” he said.
He added that similar allegations had earlier been reported to the police but dismissed them as false claims allegedly driven by fear among some stakeholders over the evolving situation surrounding the stool.
The renewed tension in Ikirun reflects the wider political and legal battles that have trailed traditional institutions in Osun State since the change of government in 2022. Observers say the outcome of the pending court processes may ultimately determine the future of the Akinrun stool and restore stability in the ancient town.
