Justice K.A. Adedokun of the Oyo state high court sitting in Ibadan on Monday, September 14, 2026, restrained the state government and other parties from nominating, appointing or approving a candidate for the Aresaadu of Iresaadu chieftaincy while Oba Abraham Olafimihan Adeyeye Oyerinde remains on the throne.
The order was issued in Suit No. HOI/6/2026 after the court considered an application filed by Oba Adeyeye through his lawyer, S. Raji.
The judge specifically restrained the government, Emiolu Ruling House and the kingmakers from “nominating, appointing or approving any candidate for the Aresaadu of Iresaadu chieftaincy nor taking any step in that regard pending the hearing and final determination of the motion on notice.”
Justice Adedokun held that the applicant’s rights were under threat and required protection by the court.
“Having read through the application and the two affidavits in support of same as well as Exhibits A, A1, B, C & D attached to same, it was established that the right of the applicant is under threat and same needed to be protected by this honourable court,” the judge said.
The court added that the circumstances of the case warranted the granting of an interim order, adding that the application had merit.
The fresh order followed Oba Adeyeye’s complaint that the ministry of local government and chieftaincy matters had failed to act on his letters and previous court orders and had proceeded with a process to nominate another candidate for the throne.
A certified true copy of the fresh court order was made available on Monday, September 14, 2026, by the monarch, alongside other chieftaincy documents and previous court judgments.
The development followed an earlier appeal by Oba Oyerinde to the Oyo state government to stop the process of appointing a parallel Aresaadu while he remains on the throne.
In a statement dated September 6, 2026, and personally signed by the monarch, he appealed to the acting governor, Chief Adebayo Lawal, and governor Seyi Makinde to intervene in the matter.
Oba Oyerinde claimed that the commissioner for local government and chieftaincy matters, Ademola Ojo, had written letters in September 2025 and September 2026 to the chairman of Surulere local government, directing the commencement of a process to nominate another Aresaadu.
According to the monarch, the directive was based on a claim that a court judgment had nullified his appointment.
He argued that the Aresaadu stool had not been declared vacant by any court of competent jurisdiction and urged the government to stop meetings reportedly commenced by the Surulere local government chairman and the Emiolu Ruling House.
Oba Oyerinde also referenced an earlier Court of Appeal judgment in Appeal No. CA/I/291/2002, which he said determined the order in which the ruling houses should produce candidates for the throne.
He said the government subsequently recognised the Osunbiyi Ruling House as the appropriate ruling house to produce the next monarch following the death of Prince Jimoh Oloyede in December 2018.
According to him, he was nominated by the Osunbiyi Ruling House, approved by the kingmakers and subsequently appointed by the government, receiving his instrument of office on May 24, 2019.
He said the Emiolu Ruling House later challenged the appointment in Suit No. HOI/4/2019, but the case was dismissed by the high court sitting in Orile-Igbon.
Oba Oyerinde further stated that the appeal against the judgment was later withdrawn by the Emiolu Ruling House on May 2, 2024.
He also said he had previously filed Suit No. HOI/19/2020 against the government over its alleged failure to recognise him, adding that the court, in a judgment delivered on February 2, 2021, directed the government to recognise him as the substantive Aresaadu and release his entitlements.
The monarch claimed that the government had yet to comply with the judgment despite there being no appeal against it.
He further disclosed that other suits relating to the chieftaincy dispute remain pending before the courts, including Suit Nos. HOI/19/2024, HOI/7/2024 and HOI/8/2024.
According to him, the ministry of justice had also issued legal advice to the ministry of local government and chieftaincy matters, urging compliance with the relevant court judgments.
Oba Oyerinde said he subsequently commenced contempt proceedings against government officials allegedly involved in or aiding the disobedience of the court orders.
He said the contempt proceedings, filed on October 17, 2025, remain pending.
The monarch therefore urged the Oyo state government to withdraw the letters directing the nomination process and stop any meeting aimed at selecting another candidate for the Aresaadu stool.
He also called for the cancellation of any fresh nomination process, describing it as an illegality and disobedience of subsisting court orders, and urged the government to sanction any officials found culpable.
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