Politics
Osun Clarifies Iragbiji Chieftaincy Declaration
The Osun State government has responded to the allegations of bias and illegality levelled against it by the Aragbiji of Iragbiji.
The position of the state government was contained in a statement on Saturday, in Osogbo, by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon Dosu Babatunde.
Babatunde accused the monarch of twisting facts and playing politics with a matter of justice and equity in the Iragbiji kingship system.
He went on to absolve Governor Ademola Adeleke of any partisan interest in the matter as reprehensibly alleged by the Aragbiji.
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He noted that the administration has all the legal rights and powers to act on State matters including revision of previous decisions if situation calls for it.
The state government posited that the decision of the State Executive Council only reversed a previous state action which apparently denied a ruling house the due rights to be included in the chieftaincy declaration, rebuking the Aragbiji for wilfully and disrespectfully violating protocols by leveling baseless allegations and insults on the state Governor.
The statement which debunked the Monarch’s accusations that the Governor did not like Iragbiji sons and daughters listed several road projects ongoing in the town, the directive of the Governor for upgrade of tourists sites in the town and a recent personal presence of the Governor at Iragbiji for an SDG event.
According to the statement, the Aragbiji is guilty of willful incitement of the public against the State Governor even as it provides the following facts and details on the decision of the State Executive Council:
“The administration of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola in 2010 set up a One Man Judicial Panel of Inquiry into the Aragbiji of Iragbiji Chieftaincy Declaration to include Lagbua Family as a Ruling House. The Panel was headed by a serving Judge of the Osun State High Court of Justice, Osogbo; Hon Justice Dr A.A Aderibigbe and its setting up was as a result of sustained agitation by the Lagbua Family of Iragbiji to the Government.
“The Panel sat between March 8 and 31, 2010 at the High Court Hall, Osogbo and all relevant stakeholders in the Aragbiji of Iragbiji Chieftaincy testified before the Panel. It submitted its report to the Government on 28th July, 2010 but the report was not considered by the State Executive Council until April 3, 2013 when in its wisdom, the then Executive Council rejected the Panel’s recommendation on the basis that the request of the Lagbua Family was in the remote past. The decision was then published in the Government Official Gazette.
“It should be noted that as at the time when the State Executive Council met in 2013, an Iragbiji son was the Chief of Staff to former Governor Aregbesola. Reports then indicated that the Council was largely influenced to ignore the merit of the panel’s report by simply throwing it out.
“However, the Lagbua Family continued its agitation and appealed to the present administration for redress. His Excellency, the Executive Governor later approved the constitution of a Committee to come up with a White Paper on the Report of the One Man Judicial Panel composed of senior technocrats in Government.
“The new Committee recommended that the Government should set aside the decision of the then State Executive Council which rejected the recommendation of the One Man Judicial Panel of Inquiry and implement its recommendations on the basis that:
“The reason for the rejection of the Panel’s recommendation had ab initio been addressed and resolved by the Panel of Inquiry which took judicial evidence from all the parties. The Panel of Inquiry in one of its findings agreed that the claim of the Lagbua Family is not remote because they have consistently been agitating for their inclusion in the Chieftaincy Declaration of Aragbiji of Iragbiji, having written series of letters and petitions to the Governments of Western Region, Western State, Oyo State and Osun State.
“The Panel found that Lagbua Family was included in the draft Aragbiji Chieftaincy Declarations of 1951 and 1956 but was excluded when the Declaration was to be registered in 1958.
“Furthermore, in arriving at its recommendation for the inclusion of the Lagbua Family in the Aragbiji of Iragbiji Chieftaincy Declaration, the Panel found that as recent as 1942, one Oyekanmi, a member of the Lagbua Family was an Elemo, Head of all the Princes in Iragbiji, a position recognized in the present Chieftaincy Declaration.
“Based on these already established facts, the State Executive Council at its meeting of Wednesday 29th January, 2025 vacated the earlier decision of the State Executive Council of April 3, 2013 and approved the recommendation of the One Man Judicial Panel of Inquiry that the Lagbua Family be included in the Aragbiji of Iragbiji Chieftaincy Declaration.
“To ensure that the rights and privileges of the existing four ruling Houses are not jeopardized, the Government further directed that in the new order of rotation, Lagbua should be the fifth and last Ruling House.
“These are the facts of the matter and they are laid bare to the public to show that this present administration does not operate on sentiments but on well laid out facts and in the spirit of justice and fair play”, the statement noted.
The state government reassures the public that its decision on the Iragbiji Chieftaincy Declaration is not targeted at anybody and is not meant to disrupt public peace. The intention as can be seen from above is to enforce equity and fairness, the Commissioner assured.
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has explained that the persistent crisis and legal disputes within the Peoples Democratic Party compelled him to defect to the All Progressives Congress.
The governor’s defection was formally announced on Monday by his deputy, Mani Mummuni, after a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Gusau.
In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the move was described as a necessary step taken in the interest of the state and supported by political stakeholders across Zamfara.
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According to the statement, Governor Lawal had remained committed to the PDP despite the ongoing leadership crisis and had made several efforts to reconcile factions within the party.
However, attempts to achieve peace and unity reportedly failed, leading to prolonged legal battles.
The development followed a judgment by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which dismissed an appeal filed by the PDP challenging an earlier ruling of the Federal High Court.
The earlier judgment had restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the outcome of the party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The governor was said to have informed political stakeholders during a series of meetings that he would make a final decision about his political future after the appellate court delivered its ruling.
Following the judgment, Lawal concluded that joining the APC would better position him to continue what he described as the “Zamfara Rescue and Rebuild Mission.”
His defection marks a significant shift in the political landscape of Zamfara State and could influence political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has handed a significant setback to Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, dismissing his appeal challenging a Federal High Court ruling that questioned his eligibility to contest the upcoming governorship election.
A three-member panel delivered a unanimous judgment on Monday, affirming that the trial court acted correctly when it allowed Dr Akindele Egbuwalo, the plaintiff, to amend his originating summons.
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Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, who read the lead judgment, said the governor failed to show that the High Court’s decision caused any miscarriage of justice or denied him a fair hearing.
The appeal was therefore dismissed for lacking merit, and the court awarded ₦2 million in costs against Aiyedatiwa.
The ruling reinforces the November 24, 2025, Federal High Court decision in Akure, which granted Egbuwalo permission to challenge Aiyedatiwa’s eligibility for re-election.
Earlier, the Court of Appeal also rejected an application by Aiyedatiwa to set aside a January 27, 2026, order staying proceedings in the case before the Federal High Court.
The appellate court clarified that the stay was a lawful exercise of its jurisdiction aimed at protecting the integrity of the proceedings.
The panel further emphasized that attempting to overturn its own order would be akin to sitting on appeal over its own decision.
The governor’s remaining option, the court noted, is to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court. Another ₦2 million in costs was awarded against Aiyedatiwa.
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party has deepened following a ruling by the Court of Appeal in Abuja which upheld a ban on the party’s proposed national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.
A three-man panel of the appellate court on Monday dismissed an appeal filed by a faction of the party led by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear a suit concerning the controversial convention.
The Turaki-led faction had approached the Court of Appeal after a Federal High Court barred the party from holding its planned national convention scheduled for November 14 and 15, 2025.
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The lower court also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising or validating the proposed convention.
However, delivering judgment, the appellate court ruled that the Federal High Court had the authority to entertain the case, rejecting the argument that the matter was purely an internal affair of the party.
According to the court, the appellants could not present what it described as a clear violation of the party’s constitution and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as merely an internal party issue.
The panel subsequently dismissed the appeal and awarded a cost of N2 million against the appellants.
The ruling is part of judgments delivered in nine harmonised appeals filed by the Turaki-led faction over the dispute surrounding the convention.
The latest court decision is expected to further intensify the internal wrangling within the opposition party as it continues to grapple with leadership disputes and preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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