Reloaded News Desk
A fresh dispute has emerged between the Osun State Government and the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, over the position of Iyaloja General of Osun State following the monarch’s public declaration recognising Chief Awawu Asindemade as the holder of the position.
The development has reopened a dispute that dates back to 2023, when Governor Ademola Adeleke appointed Mrs Oyebode Mary as Iyaloja General, replacing Asindemade, who had occupied the position during the administrations of former governors Rauf Aregbesola and Adegboyega Oyetola.
Adeleke’s administration announced Oyebode’s appointment in May 2023, describing her as a leader of business women who had contributed to commerce in the state.
Asindemade rejected the government’s action at the time, arguing that the government could not remove her because, according to her, the organisation behind the Iyaloja General position was a non-governmental association which she founded. She maintained that she remained Iyaloja General despite the appointment of Oyebode.
The issue resurfaced on Saturday after the Ataoja of Osogbo publicly announced the return of Asindemade to the position.
In a video reported by multiple media organisations, the monarch said he had asked Asindemade to remain calm and support Adeleke’s re-election bid, adding that she had complied with the instruction.
The Ataoja subsequently said he was restoring Asindemade’s royal beads and recognising her again as Iyaloja General.
The monarch also asserted that the authority to appoint the Iyaloja General rested with him, rather than the state government.
The declaration immediately drew a response from Governor Adeleke, who rejected the recognition of Asindemade and reaffirmed Oyebode as the Iyaloja General recognised by the state government.
In a statement issued through his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke said the authority to appoint the Iyaloja General was vested in the state government.
The governor described any announcement from another quarter, including the Osogbo Royal Palace, as null and void and said Oyebode remained the legally appointed Iyaloja General under the authority of the state government.
Adeleke also directed market associations and women across the state to disregard any announcement recognising another person as Iyaloja General, saying Oyebode would continue to receive the recognition and support of the state government.
He further appealed to individuals and institutions to respect what he described as their legally assigned mandates and avoid actions capable of creating tension or disturbing the peace of the state.
At the centre of the latest disagreement is a question of authority; whether the position of Iyaloja General is principally a traditional or market-association institution whose occupant may be installed by a traditional ruler, or an office whose appointment is controlled by the state government.
The two sides have taken opposing positions.
The Ataoja’s action represents a traditional-institutional claim over the appointment, while Adeleke’s response relies on the state government’s recognition of Oyebode and its assertion that the power to make the appointment belongs to the government.
The history of the dispute shows that the disagreement did not begin with the latest declaration. Asindemade challenged the 2023 appointment at the time, insisting that the government did not have the power to remove her from an organisation she described as independent of government.
The current development therefore places two previously competing positions directly against each other again, with the Ataoja recognising Asindemade and the state government continuing to recognise Oyebode.
What remains unresolved
The latest statements from the palace and the government establish the positions of the two parties, but do not by themselves settle the underlying legal question over who has the final authority to appoint or recognise an Iyaloja General in Osun State.
Reloaded News found reports documenting the 2023 appointment and the competing positions of the government and Asindemade, as well as the latest statements by the Ataoja and Governor Adeleke. However, we did not find a court judgment in the sources reviewed that conclusively determines the question of appointing authority.
The dispute involves both traditional authority and governmental recognition, while the office itself also has a significant role in the organisation and representation of market women.
For now, Oyebode remains the person recognised by the Osun State Government, while Asindemade has received renewed recognition from the Ataoja of Osogbo.
The competing declarations could leave market associations and traders facing uncertainty over which leadership structure to recognise unless the parties reach an agreement or the issue is subjected to a formal legal determination.
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