A chieftaincy dispute has erupted within the Aliiwo Ruling House of Ibadan, as representatives of the Eleta Section have approached the Oyo State High Court, challenging the process that led to the nomination of Prince Kamal Adeboye Giwa as Mogaji of the Aliiwo dynasty.
The suit, filed at the High Court of Justice, Ibadan Judicial Division, is marked Suit No: 1/359/2025 and is being heard in Court 17.
The claimants — Mr. M.K. Bello, Prince Tajudeen Obajeagbadun Bello, and Princess Olayide Fasanya — are suing on behalf of the Eleta Section of the Aliiwo Ruling House.
They named ten defendants, including the Executive Governor of Oyo State, the Attorney-General of the state, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, and Prince Kamal Adeboye Giwa, who is the central figure in the dispute.
Other defendants include members of the Aliiwo dynasty and prominent political figures.
According to the amended statement of claim, the controversy goes beyond the mere appointment of a Mogaji.
The claimants argue that the core issue is the eligibility criteria for those who can express interest, be nominated, and participate in the selection of a Mogaji in Aliiwo compound.
They contend that Ibadan traditional custom strictly limits eligibility to male descendants of Ali Okunmade, the progenitor of the Aliiwo dynasty, who have ancestral roots traced to Lagun village in Lagelu Local Government Area.
The claimants insist that clerics, war captives, followers, female descendants, and junior relatives — traditionally resident in Ile Afa — do not have ancestral ties to Lagun and are therefore barred from either aspiring to the position or taking part in the nomination process.
The court was told that only specific sections of the Aliiwo Ruling House are traditionally recognised as eligible to produce a Mogaji.
These include Eleta, Kaa-Oko, Abese, Baba-Dudu, Baba Ogun, Atiku, Sunmola, Kadiri, and Salinsile.
The claimants further stated that the office of Mogaji in Ibadanland is rotational among qualified sections within a compound, a principle they say has guided Aliiwo chieftaincy for over a century.
In their submission, the claimants listed nine Mogajis who have emerged in Aliiwo since 1870, including Amodu Ejalonibu, Sanusi Jogunosimi, Amida Ishola Aliu, Mubasiru Kaa-Oko, and others, with the most recent being from the Abese section, who served from 1986 to 2024.
They argued that while Abese, Kaa-Oko, Baba-Dudu, Baba Ogun, and Atiku sections have all produced Mogajis multiple times, the Eleta Section has never produced one, making it their turn under the rotational arrangement.
The claimants described the process that produced Prince Kamal Adeboye Giwa as irregular, biased, and alien to Ibadan traditional norms.
They alleged that a nine-man screening committee set up by the Olubadan-in-Council initially cleared and approved Prince Bashiru Adetokunbo Bello, an Eleta candidate, for installation as Mogaji.
However, the approval was allegedly reversed following what the claimants described as the interference of Senator Kola Balogun, a listed defendant in the suit.
The matter was subsequently referred to the Ibadan North-East Local Government Traditional Council for a fresh screening.
The claimants further accused the Chairman of the council, Oba Tajudeen Ajibola, of bias, alleging that the Eleta Section was deliberately excluded from the fresh screening exercise.
Despite this, the chairman reportedly submitted a recommendation endorsing Prince Kamal Adeboye Giwa without hearing from the Eleta representatives.
The suit also alleges that claims of endorsement by 21 Aliiwo sections were misleading, as sections that favoured the Eleta candidate were allegedly subjected to intimidation, assaults, and threats by hired youths within the community.
The claimants referenced a letter dated September 6, 2024, written by one of the nominees, Hassan Olawale Giwa, which reportedly highlighted flaws in the process and acknowledged the third claimant as the rightful candidate. The letter is expected to be tendered as evidence during trial.
They also stated that Prince Kamal Adeboye Giwa attended the initial screening but was absent from the meeting that led to his eventual nomination.
The claimants are asking the court to declare the entire selection process that produced Prince Kamal Adeboye Giwa as null, void, and contrary to Ibadan traditional law and custom.
They also seek an order restraining the defendants from presenting or installing him as Mogaji of Aliiwo, as well as an injunction preventing further harassment or intimidation of the claimants.
The matter has been adjourned to March 30, 2026, for further hearing.
Ireport247news
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