The indigenes of Orile-Owu in Osun State have called on the state Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke to implement the judgement of the Court of Appeal, Akure on the Obaship tussle in the town.
The indigenes under the auspices of Owu Development Foundation, called on Governor Adeleke to comply with the Appeal Court judgment which dethroned Oba Dauda Akinfalabi.
They appealed to Governor Adeleke to ensure completion of the original process of approving the appointment and installation of the Oba-elect, Prince Samson Olubayo Adenrele as previously selected/elected by the Kingmakers.
The royal stool of Olowu of Orile-Owu became vacant following the unfortunate demise of Oba Oladosu Adejobi (Afelele 2), on 15th March 2011, and after the traditional burial rites, the process began to fill the vacant stool.
In line with the Chieftaincy Declaration, the state government rightly determined the next ruling house to produce the next King, which is the Lagbedu Ruling House; and caused a letter to be written to that effect, addressed to the Head of Apena Compound at which the Lagbedu Ruling House is domiciled since creation of the town.
The letter specifically requested the Head of Apena Compound to nominate candidates for selection/election by kingmakers (Afobajes). A number of candidates emerged from different families of Apena Compound, whose names were submitted to the kingmakers (Afobajes).
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One of them, Prince Samson Olubayo Adenrele of the Sakinmade-Adenrele family of Apena Compound was chosen by kingmakers and his name was forwarded to Osun State Government for approval and installation accordingly.
However, soon afterwards, the Akinfala family dissociated itself from the entire Apena Compound and claimed it was the Akinfala family only that constitute the membership of Lagbedu Ruling House; and that the letter of Osun State Government should have been addressed to the Akinfala family, not Apena Compound.
That was how a division ensued and the kingmakers quickly waded in but could not be resolved, leading to a court action filed by Akinfala family as sole plaintiff against the entire Apena Compound as Respondents.
The intervention of stakeholders, including the Owu Development Foundation and the Balogun Owu himself, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to resolve the matter did not yield result. Particularly, Chief Obasanjo, set up a committee of high chiefs in Orile Owu for ground truthing and advice for him to intervene properly.
The report of Chief Obasanjo’s Committee indicated that the kingmakers had done a good job during the selection or election of an Oba-elect; upon which conviction he (Chief Obasanjo) appealed spiritedly to Akinfala family to take the case out of court, but which appeal also failed to persuade the Akinfala family to do so.
The matter lasted about four years at High Court Osogbo before judgement was delivered on 15th July 2016, which favoured the Akinfala family and ordered that one of its members, Prince Dauda Akinfalabi should be enthroned as the next Olowu of Orile-Owu.
The Osun State Government under Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola carried out the order of the High Court immediately.
Dissatisfied with this judgement, the Apena family went to Appeal Court, Akure to challenge the judgement variously, by instituting two appeal cases; the first case was instituted in 2016 by the Apenas, alongside Osun State Government and the Kingmakers, all as the Respondents at the lower court, and the second case was instituted in 2018 in the name of the Oba-elect himself, Prince Samson Olubayo Adenrele as an affected party and sole plaintiff at Appeal Court.
The Court of Appeal delivered its judgement in the two appeal cases on January 27, 2025, which saw the two appellants, both the Apena Compound as a whole and the Oba-elect Prince Samson Olubayo Adenrele victorious.
In each case, the judgement of Appeal Court Akure states that the appeal succeeded and was allowed, wherein the judgement of the High Court Osogbo was set aside.
Owu Development Foundation in a press statement signed by its president, Professor Gbolagade Ayoola and its General Secretary Dr. Ezekiel Oyemomi posited that “going by the Court of Appeal judgement, the implication is that Orile-Owu does not have a king in place at the moment, a situation that is highly dangerous owing to the long-standing tension in the town while the matter lasted.”
They called on Governor Adeleke to ensure the completion of the original process of approval, appointment and installation of the Oba-elect, Prince Samson Olubayo Adenrele as previously selected/elected by the kingmakers.
According to ODF, “the good people of the ancient town of Orile Owu fervently await the action of Osun State Government, under its fair and just Governor, His Excellency Ademola Adeleke, to comply with the Appeal Court judgment dethroning Oba Dauda Akinfalabi, thereby paving the way for completion of the original process of approving the appointment and installation of the Oba-elect, Prince Samson Olubayo Adenrele.”
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