The kingmakers in Oyo, commonly referred to as the Oyomesi, have initiated legal proceedings against Governor Seyi Makinde and others, alleging the improper utilization of the Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency to intimidate and harass them, including through threats of arrest.
Naija News reports that the conflict between the two parties arose when the governor proposed a new selection process for the Alaafin of Oyo, a suggestion that was largely rejected by the kingmakers, who had already chosen a candidate.
Ultimately, the governor opted for a different candidate, selected without the majority’s approval, a decision that the kingmakers contested, leading them to seek judicial intervention.
In various submissions to the Federal High Court in Ibadan, three kingmakers—Yusuf Akinade, Basorun of Oyo; Wakeel Akindele, Lagunna of Oyo; and Hamzat Yusuf, Akinniku of Oyo—are requesting the court to safeguard their fundamental human rights and to halt what they describe as the governor’s campaign of persecution.
In their individual submissions, they claim that the governor instructed the state anti-corruption agency to summon them for an investigation on January 21st, with the invitation letter dated January 20th, the day prior to the scheduled meeting.
They are asking the court to declare that the harassment, intimidation, threats of arrest, and attempted arrests by OYACA officials acting under the governor’s direction are “unwarranted, baseless, unlawful, unconstitutional” and infringe upon their rights to liberty and dignity.
Furthermore, they emphasized that the agency’s actions are inappropriate, as the matter is already under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and is the subject of Appeal No. CA/IB/134/2024, thus constituting a violation of legal protocols
