Ademola Adeleke, the governor of Osun State, is under a lot of pressure to do something about the Apetu stool because people are worried about the lack of traditional leadership in Ipetumodu town for too long.
People in the community, such as kingmakers and representatives from two ruling houses, said that the lack of a king is starting to affect the town’s traditional, administrative, and territorial stability.
The groups, which came from the Aribile and Fagbemokun ruling houses, made their point clear at a press conference in Ipetumodu on Thursday.
They asked the state government to officially declare the stool empty and start the process of choosing a new traditional ruler within seven days.
The heart of the disagreement is the fact that Oba Joseph Oloyede is still being recognized, even though he is currently serving time in a US prison for fraud.
Christopher A. Boyko sentenced the monarch to 56 months in prison on August 26, 2025, after finding him guilty of being part of a conspiracy involving COVID-19 relief funds.
According to US officials, “the scheme involved taking advantage of emergency loan programs that were meant to help small businesses during the pandemic.”
Court documents said that assets linked to the crime’s profits, like a house in Medina, Ohio, and more than $96,000, were taken away.
Along with the prison sentence, the king was told to pay back more than $4.4 million and to be on supervised release after his sentence was over.
Even with these changes, community leaders said that the delay in officially declaring the stool vacant has caused confusion and weakened traditional power structures in Ipetumodu.
Prince Dele Oyebade, speaking for the ruling houses, said that “all required legal documentation, including the Certified True Copy of the judgment, had been submitted to the state government.”
He said, “The documents have been made available, but nothing has happened since then.” This delay is making things more tense in the community than they need to be.
Oyebade also said that the governor might not have gotten all the information he needed about the issue from Akinyode Oyewusi, the lawmaker who represents Ife North State Constituency.
He went on to say, “All actions that could delay justice in this case must stop right away to protect the integrity of the institution.”
Prince Olaboye Ayoola, another community leader, said that the lack of a recognized monarch has led to new problems in the area, such as more arguments and gaps in administration.
Ayoola said, “We’re giving the government seven days to answer. Leadership is needed in the town because this situation is already hurting our land and traditions.
He said that nearby communities were taking advantage of the absence to move into areas that were in dispute, and that important cultural ceremonies were still on hold.
Chief Lawrence Odewale, the Aresa of Ipetumodu, called for immediate action on behalf of the traditional council. This included the appointment of warrant chiefs to help choose a new king.
He said, “Declaring the stool vacant is necessary to restore order and let the kingmakers do their jobs without any more delays.”
Hon. Dr. Philip “Okanga” Agbese, a transformative leader in Enone. Discover his achievements, community projects, and vision for 2027
