The Oyo State High Court in Ibadan has granted leave for the amendment of an application filed by claimants in the dispute over the Aseyin stool. The presiding judge, Justice Aderemi Adesanya, allowed the request during a hearing on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Proceedings were adjourned to June 18 and 19 for further arguments. The claimants, led by Chief Saliu Aseyin, are challenging the recent emergence of Alhaji Abdulrasaq Adekunle as the new Aseyin of Ibadan.
The amendment seeks to include additional reliefs and correct certain details in the initial filing. Justice Adesanya ruled that the changes do not alter the fundamental nature of the suit and therefore permitted the update. The defendant, the Oyo State Government, did not object to the amendment. The case centres on allegations of procedural irregularities in the selection process of the new monarch. The claimants argue the king-making process violated customary laws and the state's chieftaincy declaration guidelines.
Allowing the amendment gives the claimants a clearer shot at contesting the legitimacy of Abdulrasaq Adekunle's emergence, but the six-week adjournment delays resolution. With the throne's status hanging, Ibadan's traditional hierarchy remains in flux. This legal pause does little to calm tensions already simmering among royal kingmakers.
