A meeting of royal family members in Ipetumodu, Osun State, ended in chaos on Tuesday after calls were made for the Apetumodu throne to be declared vacant, following the recent conviction of Oba Joseph Oloyede in the United States.
Oba Oloyede, the 27th Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, was sentenced to over four years in prison on August 26, 2025, after being found guilty of COVID-19 loan fraud. He was also ordered by a U.S. court to forfeit assets and pay over $4.4 million in restitution.
At the centre of the latest dispute is Prince Olaboye Ayoola of the Aribile Ruling House, who publicly urged Chief Sunday Adedeji, the most senior kingmaker, to formally notify Governor Ademola Adeleke and initiate the process of declaring the stool vacant.
Chief Adedeji rejected the demand outright, stating he would not participate in any such move at this time. His refusal sparked a heated exchange among members of the royal family, prompting the abrupt end of the meeting without any resolution.
Speaking briefly to the press after the gathering, Adedeji stated, “Peace has to reign first,” and declined to make further comments.
The monarch’s conviction has thrown Ipetumodu into uncertainty, reigniting long-standing tensions between the town’s two ruling houses — Aribile and Fagbemokun.
While the Aribile lineage insists the throne should remain within their family until Oba Oloyede completes his prison term, the Fagbemokun Ruling House argues that the conviction constitutes abdication, and therefore, the crown should rotate to their side in accordance with traditional succession arrangements.
The Osun State government has confirmed that it is awaiting a Certified True Copy of the U.S. court judgment before making any official pronouncement on the status of the Apetumodu stool.
For now, the people of Ipetumodu remain divided, with local leaders and stakeholders calling for calm amid growing political and traditional tension in the town.
