By John Dike,Osogbo
A routine palace meeting on Tuesday ended in disarray after a call was made on Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke to declare the stool of the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu vacant following the conviction of Oba Joseph Oloyede in the United States.
The meeting, held at the traditional council chamber and presided over by the Asalu of Ipetumodu, Chief Sunday Adedeji, was called to address rising tensions surrounding the monarch’s fate.
The session, which began around 4 p.m., reportedly progressed without incident until a prince proposed that a formal letter be sent to the governor, urging him to declare the throne vacant.
According to sources at the meeting, the proposal ignited a fierce debate. Chief Adedeji, said to be the most senior surviving kingmaker, declined the request, stating that he would not be part of any move to dethrone the embattled monarch. He also reportedly recused himself from his role as a kingmaker altogether.
His refusal drew sharp criticism from some of the princes, leading to heated exchanges and shouting, ultimately causing the meeting to collapse around 6 p.m. without reaching a resolution.
In an interview after the incident, Prince Olaboye Ayoola of the Aribile Ruling House expressed his frustration.
He said, “During the meeting, we all agreed that two new kingmakers should be elected to replace the deceased ones and that a letter should be written to the governor declaring the seat vacant.
“But Chief Adedeji refused. He said we would not do that and even stepped down from being a kingmaker. That’s what led to the chaos.”
When contacted by reporters, Chief Adedeji stood by his decision, offering a brief but telling remark: “It is true. Peace has to reign first.”
Oba Joseph Oloyede, the current Apetumodu, was reportedly convicted in the United States, although details of the case remain unclear. Since the news of the conviction surfaced, Ipetumodu has been on edge, with growing calls for the state government to step in and resolve the leadership vacuum.
Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dosu Babatunde, previously stated that the government is awaiting a Certified True Copy of the U.S. court judgment before taking any formal steps.
Further complicating the situation is a sharp division between the town’s two ruling houses — Aribile and Fagbemokun.
The Aribile House, from which Oba Oloyede hails, is split on the issue: Some insist the stool should remain with them until the monarch completes his jail term. Others argue that a new candidate should be chosen from among previous contenders within the house.
However, the Fagbemokun House sees things differently. Its members insist that, according to traditional rotation, it is now their turn to produce the next Apetumodu.
With the resignation of Chief Adedeji as kingmaker and no consensus in sight, Ipetumodu’s royal succession crisis appears far from over.
As the town waits for the state government’s intervention, the palace remains in limbo. The absence of a clear leadership path risks deepening the division and further unsettling the community.
For now, one thing is certain: the future of the Apetumodu throne hangs in the balance, with history, tradition, and legal complexities all colliding in a storm of uncertainty.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio had, in an August 26, 2025 statement, confirmed Oba Oloyede’s sentencing. The monarch, alongside a co-conspirator, was found guilty of exploiting COVID-19 loan programmes under the CARES Act between April 2020 and February 2022.
Since the judgement, Ipetumodu has been unsettled, with calls mounting for the state government to decide on the monarch’s fate.
Security was tight at the disrupted meeting, with Department of State Services operatives stationed in a patrol van outside
