Iragbiji chieftaincy declaration: Osun govt accuses Aragbiji of politicising issue

The Osun State government on Saturday accused the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Rasheed Olabomi, of twisting facts and playing politics with a matter of justice and equity in the Iragbiji kingship system.

The government made the accusation in a statement issued in Osogbo by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Barrister Dosu Babatunde, in response to allegations of bias and illegality leveled against it by the Aragbiji of Iragbiji.

The commissioner absolved Governor Adeleke of any partisan interest in the matter, as alleged by the Aragbiji, and affirmed that the administration has the legal rights and powers to act on state matters, including revising previous decisions when necessary.

According to him, “The decision of the State Executive Council merely reversed a previous state action that had denied a ruling house its due rights to be included in the chieftaincy declaration. It rebukes the Aragbiji for wilfully and disrespectfully violating protocols by leveling baseless allegations and insults against the state governor.”

The statement also debunked the monarch’s accusations that the governor harbors ill-will towards Iragbiji’s sons and daughters, listing several ongoing road projects in the town, the governor’s directive to upgrade tourist sites, and his recent personal presence at an SDG event in Iragbiji.

ALSO READ:Gaza: Three Israeli hostages, 183 Palestinian prisoners released in latest exchange

The government further accused the Aragbiji of inciting the public against the state governor. The statement provided the following details regarding the decision of the State Executive Council:

“The administration of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, in 2010, set up a One-Man Judicial Panel of Inquiry into the Aragbiji of Iragbiji Chieftaincy Declaration to include the Lagbua Family as a Ruling House.

The panel, headed by Hon. Justice Dr. A.A. Aderibigbe, a serving judge of the Osun State High Court, was established following sustained agitation by the Lagbua Family.

“The panel sat from March 8 to 31, 2010, at the High Court Hall in Osogbo, with all relevant stakeholders testifying before the panel.

The panel submitted its report on July 28, 2010, but the report was not considered by the State Executive Council until April 3, 2013, when the council rejected the panel’s recommendation on the grounds that the Lagbua Family’s request was based on a remote past. This decision was published in the Government Official Gazette.

“It should be noted that, at the time of the 2013 State Executive Council meeting, an Iragbiji son was serving as Chief of Staff to former Governor Aregbesola. Reports indicated that the council was largely influenced to ignore the merit of the panel’s report and dismiss it entirely.

“However, the Lagbua Family continued their agitation and appealed to the present administration for redress. His Excellency, the Executive Governor, later approved the formation of a committee to create a White Paper on the report of the One-Man Judicial Panel composed of senior technocrats in government.

“The new committee recommended that the government set aside the 2013 decision of the State Executive Council and implement the recommendations of the One-Man Judicial Panel of Inquiry.

The reason for the previous rejection had already been addressed by the panel, which gathered judicial evidence from all parties. The panel’s findings confirmed that the Lagbua Family’s claim was not remote, as they had consistently sought inclusion in the chieftaincy declaration through various letters and petitions to previous governments.

“The panel also found that the Lagbua Family was included in the draft Aragbiji Chieftaincy Declarations of 1951 and 1956 but was excluded when the declaration was registered in 1958.

“In recommending the inclusion of the Lagbua Family, the panel cited evidence as recent as 1942, when a member of the family, Oyekanmi, served as the Elemo (Head of all the Princes) in Iragbiji, a position recognized in the current chieftaincy declaration.

“Based on these established facts, the State Executive Council, at its meeting on January 29, 2025, vacated the previous decision of April 3, 2013, and approved the inclusion of the Lagbua Family in the Aragbiji of Iragbiji Chieftaincy Declaration.

To ensure the rights of the existing four ruling houses were not jeopardized, the government directed that Lagbua be the fifth and last ruling house in the new rotation order.

“These are the facts of the matter, and they are laid bare to the public to show that this administration operates on well-established facts and in the spirit of justice and fair play,” the statement concluded.

The state government reassured the public that its decision on the Iragbiji Chieftaincy Declaration is not aimed at any individual and is not intended to disrupt public peace. The intention, as highlighted above, is to enforce equity and fairness, the commissioner assured.