In Alade Idanre, Ondo State, tensions have risen due to an ongoing dispute over the selection of a new Oba, The Nation reports.
Nine months after Otunba Benson Akingbaso was chosen by the Ifa oracle and approved by the kingmakers, some local groups are allegedly attempting to install a different candidate.
The previous Oba, Oba Olusegun Akinbola, passed away in 2020, and efforts to appoint a new leader have faced internal opposition.
Akingbaso was designated Oba-elect after the oracle’s selection, but his official installation has been delayed by disputes within the ruling houses.
The Regent, Chief Oladipo Akinsowon, warned the state government about the risk of worsening the crisis by not officially recognizing Akingbaso.
Despite this, the state has not acted on requests to formalize his position. Akingbaso recently expressed concerns that the kingmakers are being pressured by the Akinnadeju family, who are pushing for one of their own members to be installed as the next Oba.
Akingbaso, through his lawyer Akinyemi Omoware, called for patience and urged all sides to await the court’s decision.
He claimed the Akinnadeju family is trying to force their way into the ruling houses, though they are not currently recognized as part of them.
The legal battle centers on a 1995 judgment, which the Akinnadeju family says supports their inclusion as a ruling house, though the state government has yet to recognize this.
Meanwhile, Chief Sola Ebiseni, representing the Akinnadeju family, argued that it is their family’s turn to provide the next Oba, with Prince Ayo Akinnadeju set to succeed his late brother.
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