Five Oyo town kingmakers and their preferred candidate for the Alaafin stool, Prince Lukman Gbadegesin, on Wednesday, issued Governor Seyi Makinde a 30-day ultimatum to reverse the appointment of Akeem Owoade as the Alaafin or face a fresh legal action.
The ultimatum was contained in a letter dated January 14, 2025, written to Makinde by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kunle Sobaloju, on behalf of Gbadegesin.
In yet a second letter, also dated January 14, 2025, written by Sobaloju on behalf of the five kingmakers, they warned Makinde to refrain from maligning them by alleging bribery in the selection process for the Alaafin of Oyo.
They described Makinde’s resort to media attack on them was “unwarranted and unbecoming of the high standards expected of Your Excellency’s office.”
They warned the governor against crossing the line of defamation, stating: “Please recognise that you remain liable to prosecution for the defamatory acts committed by you in office, for which you may be held accountable after your period of immunity is over.”
The aggrieved kingmakers are the Basorun of Oyo, High Chief Yusuf Ayoola; Laguna of Oyo, High Chief Wakeel Akindele; Akinniku of Oyo, High Chief Hamzat Yusuf; warrant chief standing in for Asipa of Oyo, Chief Wahab Oyetunjii; warrant chief standing in for Alapinni of Oyo, Chief Gbadebo Mufutau.
Makinde had last Friday named Canada-based Owoade as the new Alaafin and on Monday presented him with a staff of office and letter of appointment.