Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has interven in the crisis rocking Ipetumodu following the jailing of its traditional ruler, the Apetu, Oba Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede, in the United States.
At the State Executive Council meeting on Friday, Adeleke ordered the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to take immediate action on the matter, describing the monarch’s ordeal as “ugly” and demanding swift resolution.
The directive comes amid growing calls from the indigenes of Ipetumodu for the throne to be declared vacant and a successor installed. Princes of the town have called for a replacement, though some kingmakers are resisting the move.
Oba Oloyede was convicted in August by a U.S. District Court in Ohio for leading a conspiracy that exploited COVID-19 emergency loan programmes meant for struggling businesses. He was sentenced to prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $4.4 million.
Since the judgment, tension has mounted in Ipetumodu, with residents split between loyalty to the embattled monarch and pressure to protect the integrity of the ancient stool.
Governor Adeleke’s intervention signals that the state government may soon decide the fate of the jailed king, setting the stage for a potentially fierce tussle over succession.
