Tension flared in Ipetumodu, Osun State, on Tuesday as a meeting of princes ended in chaos over the fate of the jailed monarch, Oba Joseph Oloyede, the 27th Apetumodu of Ipetumodu.
Oba Oloyede was recently sentenced to more than four years’ imprisonment in the United States for COVID-19 loan fraud and ordered to forfeit assets while paying over $4.4 million in restitution.
His conviction has thrown the community into turmoil, with rival factions calling for Governor Ademola Adeleke to declare the throne vacant.
The meeting, held at the palace and presided over by the Asalu of Ipetumodu, Chief Sunday Adedeji, began peacefully around 4 p.m.
However, tensions escalated when a prince proposed that Adedeji, as the most senior surviving kingmaker, formally write to Governor Adeleke declaring the stool vacant.
Adedeji rejected the proposal and reportedly recused himself from any further role in the matter. His decision sparked a shouting match among attendees, forcing the gathering to break down around 6 p.m.
Speaking afterwards, Olaboye Ayoola, a prince from the Aribile Ruling House, expressed disappointment at Adedeji’s stance.
“During the meeting, we all decided that two new kingmakers should be elected to replace the deceased ones, and a letter was written to the governor declaring the seat vacant. But Chief Adedeji refused, insisting we won’t do that.
"He also announced he was no longer interested in being a kingmaker. That led to chaos, and the meeting ended without any resolution,” Ayoola said.
When contacted, Adedeji confirmed his rejection but stressed, “It is true. Peace has to reign first,” declining further comment.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio had confirmed on August 26, 2025, that Oba Oloyede was convicted alongside a co-conspirator for exploiting pandemic loan programmes under the CARES Act between April 2020 and February 2022.
Since the sentencing, divisions have deepened between Ipetumodu’s two ruling houses — Aribile and Fagbemokun. While some in Aribile insist the stool must remain within their house until Oloyede completes his jail term, others argue for a fresh candidate from the same family.
Princes from Fagbemokun, however, insist it is their turn to produce the next Apetumodu. The Osun State government has adopted a cautious stance. Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dosu Babatunde, said the government would first obtain a Certified True Copy of the U.S. judgment before making any decision.
Security was tight during Tuesday’s disrupted meeting, with operatives of the Department of State Services deployed outside the palace in a patrol van.
The fate of the Apetumodu stool remains unresolved, heightening tensions in the historic town as both ruling houses brace for a long battle over succession.
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