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The Oyo State Government has declared illegal the indefinite suspension of the Balogun of Ogbomosoland, Dr. Saka Adegbite Balogun, by the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, insisting that the traditional ruler lacks the legal authority to suspend a recognised Part II chieftaincy holder.
The government’s position followed a letter dated October 20, 2026, personally signed by Oba Olaoye, titled “Letter of Indefinite Suspension from the Title of Balogun of Ogbomosoland.”
In the letter, the Soun reportedly suspended Balogun indefinitely for allegedly refusing to sign the Oath of Allegiance to the throne.
According to the letter, the oath is neither optional nor merely ceremonial, but a prerequisite for recognition as a member of the Executive Council of Chiefs of Ogbomosoland.
However, the Oyo State Government, through the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Ademola Ojo, on Friday declared the purported suspension contrary to the state’s existing chieftaincy law.
Ojo, in a press statement dated October 23, 2026, cited Section 26(1) of the Chiefs Law of Oyo State, Cap 28 (2000), which, according to him, vests the power to appoint, suspend and depose a Part II recognised chieftaincy holder exclusively in the state governor.
He described the action against Balogun as an aberration and an action unknown to the law governing traditional council operations in the state.
The commissioner consequently reaffirmed that Dr. Saka Adegbite Balogun remains the duly recognised Balogun of Ogbomosoland and urged members of the public to disregard any claim suggesting that he had been removed or suspended from the title.
The government’s intervention came amid a complaint by the Balogun Taiwo Atere-Gbebi Family of Isale-Afon, Ogbomoso, which had appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene in the matter.
In a letter dated October 22, 2026, addressed to the governor through the Local Government Service Commission, the family said it received the suspension letter from the palace on October 21 without prior communication, dialogue or inquiry.
The family further alleged that Balogun and his entourage had been denied entry into the palace on two occasions since his installation on December 19, 2025.
The incidents, according to the letter, occurred during the traditional homage known as Ikije and after the commissioning of Ojabgo Market.
The family appealed to the state government to intervene and resolve the dispute, adding that the Balogun had not been paid any salary since April 2025.
The development has brought the relationship between the palace and the Balogun’s family into focus, with the state government maintaining that any suspension or removal of a recognised Part II chieftaincy holder must comply with the provisions of the state’s chieftaincy law.
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