The Alagbado in Council, led by the traditional ruler of Agbado Kingdom in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, Oba Adedayo Shyllon, has rejected the recent appointment and public announcement of Mrs. Ayoka Agboke as the “Ifo Local Government Iyalode General,” declaring the installation null and void.

In an official statement released on Friday, the Council characterized the announcement as misleading, noting that it directly breaches the Ogun State Chiefs Law (both in its original form and the 2021 amendment) as well as long-established Yoruba traditional customs.

The statement emphasized that neither the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law nor any official government gazette provides for the creation or conferment of an “Ifo Local Government Iyalode General” title, adding that political office holders, including the Local Government Chairman, lack the legal authority to grant such traditional titles.

The Council further clarified that the statutory traditional councils recognized under Ogun State law remain strictly limited to the Egba, Ijebu, Remo, and Yewa Traditional Councils under which Ifo LGA operates, asserting that no ad-hoc committee possesses the legal mandate to bestow chieftaincy titles with “General” status across an entire local government area.

Citing judicial precedent, the statement referenced a High Court judgment from the Ipokia Division in Suit No. HCT/199/2012 delivered on May 25, 2017, by Justice S.M. Owodunni, which ruled that an unapproved traditional leader holds no power to appoint chiefs in the Agbado community, effectively voiding any derivative appointments or local government confirmations.

The Council also pointed to an existing Ogun State Government Bureau of Chieftaincy Affairs circular dated August 8, 2003, which explicitly warned local government authorities against issuing certificates for illegal appointments or recognizing unapproved local community heads.

Dismissing claims of wider traditional backing, the statement noted that recognized Obas across Ifo LGA never authorized or voted to empower the Olofin of Isheri to endorse chieftaincy appointments on behalf of the collective traditional institution in the area.

Reiterating that Agbado Kingdom already possesses a recognized first-class traditional ruler in Oba Adedayo Shyllon alongside a legally constituted traditional Iyalode, the Council stated that it cannot accept an appointee who has no ancestral connection or roots to any of the recognized traditional kingdoms in Ifo Local Government.

Conclusively, the Alagbado in Council urged the general public to disregard the installation, while calling on the Ogun State Government and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to intervene urgently and curb the proliferation of unauthorized chieftaincy titles that undermine established traditional institutions.