Court bars Ondo State Government and the Ifon Kingmakers from proceeding with the selection of a new Olufon of Ifon.
Court bars Ondo State Government and the Ifon Kingmakers from proceeding with the selection of a new Olufon of Ifon.
An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has barred the Ifon kingmakers, the Ondo State Government, the Umaugba Ruling House and all other parties in the suit instituted by the Erunogbe Ruling House against the Ondo State Government and the Umaugba Ruling House from proceeding with the selection of a new Olufon of Ifon pending the hearing and final determination of the matter before it.
At the hearing of the matter on the 15th of December, 2025, the Honourable Court ordered all parties in the suit to maintain the status quo ante pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit. Further hearing has been adjourned till the 14th of January, 2026.
The Erunogbe Ruling House had dragged the Ondo State Government and the Umaugba Ruling House to Court over its planned abandonment and violation of the rotational order as clearly stated in the registered Olufon chieftaincy declaration of 1968 that is supportive of the nomination of candidates from the Erunogbe Ruling House, being the next in line to the Idaniken Ruling House that had produced the immediate past Olufon of Ifon,, Oba Israel Adegoke Adeusi.
The Ondo State Government is allegedly backing the Umaugba Ruling House to nominate candidates for the Olufon vacant stool in violation of the rotational order and for some political reasons that are alien to the customs and tradition of Ifon town.
It would be recalled that the the Head of the Umaugba Ruling House, Prince Adekolu Odogiyon, had presented Prince Adelanke Adetoyese Odogiyon to the Ifon kingmakers on the 13th of March, 2023 as the family’s sole candidate and his nomination was overwhelmingly rejected by ten out of the thirteen kingmakers for various reasons that are in line with the Ifon traditional laws and customs.
The Olufon stool became vacant on the 26th of November, 2020, following the demise of Oba Israel Adegoke Adeusi 1 ( JP) of the Idaniken Ruling House.
He succeeded Oba David Adegbera Odogiyon of the Umaugba Ruling House who joined his ancestors in 1996.
