Convicted Monarch
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has instructed the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Dosu Babatunde, to address the ongoing crisis surrounding the Apetumodu stool following the recent conviction of Oba Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede in the United States.
The directive comes as tensions escalate between factions insisting the throne remain vacant until Oba Oloyede returns, and others pushing for the appointment of a new monarch.
Oba Oloyede, the 27th Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, was sentenced to over four years in prison by a US court after being found guilty of COVID-19 loan fraud.
The conviction, confirmed by the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio on August 26, 2025, revealed that Oba Oloyede and an accomplice exploited CARES Act loan programs between April 2020 and February 2022.
He was also ordered to forfeit assets and pay restitution exceeding $4.4 million.
Since the ruling, Ipetumodu has been in turmoil, with growing calls for the Osun State government to determine the future of the Apetumodu throne.
So far, the state government’s official response, through Commissioner Babatunde, has been to await the Certified True Copy of the judgment before taking further steps.
However, during a State Executive Council meeting where key policies were reviewed, Governor Adeleke openly described the situation as an “ugly development” and directed Babatunde to take immediate action to resolve the crisis.
Speaking on other state matters, Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. Kolapo Alimi, disclosed that the Governor emphasized the need to accelerate the implementation of the recently approved State ICT and Tech Innovation policies.
He also commended the Ministry of Science and Technology for launching the Imole Wifi Initiative and tasked them with developing a roadmap for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain technology applications in Osun.
In agriculture, Adeleke called for urgent rollout of the Statewide Youth Agropreneurship project launched in Oriade, instructing the ministry to ensure the program reaches all local governments.
Regarding sports, the Governor urged swift progress on bills establishing the Osun Sport Commission, the Police Trust Fund, and the Osun Sports Development Fund, with close collaboration between ministries and the State Assembly.
The Governor further stressed that every local government should develop its own developmental blueprint aligned with the state agenda, and directed the Chief of Staff and Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to work with ALGON to actualize this plan.
He also highlighted the importance of quality monitoring for the Imole Youth Corps and encouraged council members to build on Osun’s climate change successes, which have attracted attention from federal agencies, international groups, and donors.
As elections approach, Adeleke stressed the need for robust data collection across all sectors to generate governance statistics in line with modern best practices.
The Apetumodu stool crisis came to a head during a palace meeting on Tuesday, where princes clashed over calls to declare the throne vacant.
The gathering, chaired by the Asalu of Ipetumodu, Chief Sunday Adedeji, dissolved into chaos after he refused to write a formal letter to Governor Adeleke vacating the stool.
Following his refusal, Adedeji reportedly stepped down from his kingmaker role, triggering heated arguments and an unresolved standoff.
A prince from the Aribile Ruling House, Olaboye Ayoola, expressed frustration at the deadlock, stating that while the group agreed to elect new kingmakers and send a letter declaring the throne vacant, Adedeji’s rejection led to disorder and a premature end to the meeting.
When reached for comment, Chief Adedeji confirmed his refusal, emphasizing the need for peace but declined further remarks.
