Deji Reaffirms Authority Over Akure North, South LGs

Akure, Nigeria— The Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi Ogunlade, has reaffirmed his position as the prescribed authority over Akure North and Akure South Local Government Areas of Ondo State, despite opposition from the Oloba-in-Council of Oba-Ile.

This came after the Oloba-in-Council, led by Princess Adefoluke Agunbiade-Adu, the Regent of Oba-Ile, insisted that their communities were never under the jurisdiction of the Deji. Speaking on behalf of the council, former Commissioner Hon. Omoniyi Omodara emphasized that Oba-Ile and the Oloba Oodaye are independent, stressing that their land predates both Akure town and its monarch. “Oba-Ile land cannot be ceded to anyone,” he maintained, warning against any attempt to alter their history or traditional autonomy.

In response, Oba Aladetoyinbo, through his spokesman Michael Adeyeye, clarified that four separate court judgments—two from lower courts and two from the Court of Appeal—had already established him as the paramount ruler and prescribed authority over the entirety of Akure land. He cited the judgment of Justice W.A. Akintoroye (SUIT NO: AK/28/2017), delivered on March 28, 2018, which dismissed a case challenging the Deji’s authority in appointing minor chiefs in Akure North.

According to the ruling, “From time immemorial, the entire Akure land has been under the hegemony of the Deji of Akure. By virtue of this position, the Deji is the paramount ruler over the entire Akure land and the consenting authority over all minor chiefs, Olus, and Baales under him.”

Adeyeye stressed that the Deji’s authority is both traditional and legally recognized, extending across all communities in Akure, irrespective of the administrative creation of Akure North and Akure South LGAs. He noted that the bifurcation of the old Akure Local Government was purely for administrative convenience and does not diminish the paramountcy of the Deji.

He further stated that the issue is not about political boundaries but about historical and judicial affirmation of the Deji’s supremacy. “We wish to make it abundantly clear that the paramountcy of the Deji of Akure Land concerns the entire Akure land, irrespective of how many Local Governments are carved out,” Adeyeye concluded.

The development underscores ongoing traditional supremacy battles in Ondo State, as both the Deji and the Oloba-in-Council seek to assert historical authority over their respective domains.

By Makinde oyinkansola|August 26, 2025