Lawyers petition Owa Obokun, Osun Commissioner over alleged breach of custom and tradition
A dispute has emerged over the appointment of Mr Olayiwola Folorunso Oriowo as the Saloro of Ilesa, following formal protests by the four ruling houses associated with the traditional stool, which are demanding the recognition and installation of their preferred candidate, Oladotun Lukman Bakare.
The ruling houses, comprising Agbamo, Orunde, Oluronbi and Omirin Awosoru, have engaged legal counsel to challenge the appointment, alleging that the selection of Oriowo contravenes the established customs and traditions governing succession to the Saloro chieftaincy.
In separate letters addressed to the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland, Oba Clement Adesuyi Haastrup Ajimoko III, and the Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the solicitors called for the reversal of Oriowo's appointment and an inquiry into the process that led to his selection.
The letters, signed by Ademola Adeyemo, Esq., were written on the instructions of the Saloro ruling houses.
RULING HOUSES CLAIM UNANIMOUS SUPPORT FOR BAKARE
According to the solicitors, the four ruling houses have maintained a cordial relationship over succession to the Saloro stool and operate under established criteria for selecting an eligible candidate whenever a vacancy arises.
The lawyers stated that representatives of the four families met and unanimously agreed to nominate Bakare, whom they considered suitable to contribute to the development of Ijesaland and support the ongoing developmental initiatives associated with the Owa Obokun's reign.
They said a letter dated September 8, 2026, was forwarded to the Owa Obokun to communicate their unanimous choice of Bakare for the traditional position.
However, the solicitors expressed surprise over the reported appointment of Oriowo on October 11, 2026, claiming that the selection was inconsistent with the ruling houses' understanding of the customary process.
OWA OBOKUN ASKED TO REVERSE APPOINTMENT
In a separate letter to Oba Haastrup, the ruling houses urged the paramount ruler to reconsider his decision and install Bakare as Saloro of Ilesa in accordance with what they described as the customs and traditions of Ijesaland.
The solicitors also disclosed that the ruling houses had written a protest letter dated October 22, 2026, to the Owa Obokun, asking him to reverse the appointment.
They maintained that the Saloro chieftaincy is hereditary rather than honorary and argued that eligibility for the stool is restricted to male members of the four recognised ruling houses.
The solicitors further alleged that Oriowo had no relationship with any of the four families, a claim forming a central part of their challenge to his appointment.
OSUN GOVERNMENT URGED TO INTERVENE
In their petition to the Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the ruling houses called for government intervention to resolve the dispute.
They urged the commissioner to initiate an inquiry into the Saloro chieftaincy in line with the applicable customs and traditions of Ijesaland, set aside what they described as the imposition of Oriowo, and recognise Bakare as their unanimously selected candidate.
The petitioners expressed hope that the state government would intervene promptly to address their grievances and prevent further disagreement over the traditional stool.
DISPUTE AWAITS OFFICIAL RESPONSE
The controversy raises questions about the customary succession process, the role of the ruling houses and the responsibilities of the prescribed traditional authority and state government in resolving disputes over chieftaincy appointments.
However, the allegations contained in the petitions represent the position of the protesting ruling houses and their legal representatives. The documents provided for this report do not contain responses from the Owa Obokun, the Osun State Government or Oriowo.
The legal and customary validity of the appointment, as well as the competing claims concerning eligibility and succession, has not been independently established.
KAKAKIOODUA Online Media will continue to monitor developments surrounding the dispute and report any official response from the parties concerned if and when made available to us.
No comments:
Post a Comment