Governor Seyi Makinde has elevated the Alago-Oja and 13 other Oyo High Chiefs to the status of crown-wearing Obas, formally presenting them with instruments of office in a move the state government says is aimed at strengthening traditional institutions.
Representing the governor at the ceremony which took place on Friday, 13 February 2026, the Deputy Governor, Barrister Adebayo Lawal, stated that the action was backed by Oyo State law, which empowers the governor to confer crowns on chiefs deemed fit for elevation. He said the decision reflects the administration’s commitment to promoting peace, stability and grassroots development through the reinforcement of traditional structures.
The newly elevated monarchs include the Alaaguo of Aguoland, Oba David Oyediran; the Baba Eyaji of Oyo, Oba Afonja Mukaila; the Alajagba of Oyo, Oba Samuel Odurinde; the Ona-Isokun of Oyo, Oba Isiaka Tella-Titiloye; the Onimileke of Imileke Oyo, Oba Fakayode Alowonle; the Onigbudugbu of Gbudugbu Oyo, Oba Salawu Oyeniran; the Oloodu of Ojongbodu, Oba Olaniyi Adegboye; and the Alapa-Ara of Apa-Ara, Oba Tijani Ajeigbe.
Others are the Onidode of Idodeland, Oba Oyeleke Yusuff; the Iba Samu of Oyo Empire, Oba Lamidi Jimoh; the Alago-Oja of Ago-Oja Land, Oba Ganiyu Busari; the Agbaaki of Oyo, Oba Asimiyu Jimoh; the Alakeitan of Akeitan, Oba Jimoh Oyeleye; Elepe of Iseke, Oba Abel Oyekan, and the Agbaakin of Oyo, Oba Asimiyu Jimoh.
The coronation followed the publication of a 2025 state gazette that upgraded the Ago-Oja stool from a Part III Baale classification to a Part II beaded-crown kingship under the Oyo State Obas and Chiefs Law. As of the time of filing this report, the ceremony was ongoing, with no reports of disruption, despite pending legal disputes surrounding the elevation.
The development comes against the backdrop of earlier court rulings. In 2007, the Oyo State High Court held that the title “Baale of Ago-Oja” did not legally exist within Atiba Local Government and restrained state recognition under the framework then applicable. The judgment was affirmed in 2017 by the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division. Although an appeal was lodged at the Supreme Court, it was not pursued to conclusion.
More recently, the current Alaafin of Oyo, Akeem Abimbola Owoade, filed a motion before the Supreme Court of Nigeria (Appeal No. SC/404/2018) seeking interlocutory injunctions to restrain the creation, recognition or installation of the upgraded stool pending judicial clarification. The motion, filed on 30 January 2026, is still pending, with no interim or restraining order issued.
Counsel to the Alaafin reportedly cautioned that proceeding with the coronation could amount to contempt of court, citing previous judgments. However, the Makinde administration maintained that it had complied fully with the Oyo State Obas and Chiefs Law. The Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, described opposition to the move as coming from a “hyper minority,” stressing that the government was carrying out its lawful responsibilities.
In January 2025, the state government approved and gazetted the elevation, restructuring the status of the stool within the statutory hierarchy of traditional titles. Officials insist that the latest action represents a lawful exercise of executive authority distinct from earlier judicial findings delivered under a different administrative context. The elevation process also affected at least two members of the Oyomesi, who were granted beaded-crown status in neighbouring communities.
The controversy has drawn attention to broader constitutional questions regarding the place of traditional institutions in Nigeria’s governance framework. Under the 1999 Constitution, traditional authorities are regulated by state legislation rather than recognised as a separate tier of government. Governors are vested with powers to approve and classify chiefs, subject to judicial review, a hybrid arrangement that has, at times, generated tension where historical hierarchies intersect with executive decisions.
Oba Busari and the Alago Oja-in-Council have publicly rejected social media narratives suggesting rivalry with the Alaafin or any attempt to challenge established historical traditions. They reaffirmed their respect for the revered Alaafin institution, historically associated with the late Lamidi Adeyemi III and his successors.
As legal proceedings continue, observers note that the final determination may hinge on whether the 2025 gazette lawfully supersedes or stands independently of prior court decisions. For now, the state government has proceeded with the elevation, underscoring what it describes as a commitment to due process, institutional respect and peaceful resolution of disputes within the framework of the law.
