​Dapo Abiodun suspends traditional ruler for alleged support of opposition parties

​Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has suspended Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, the Eselu of Iselu Kingdom in Yewa North Local Government Area, over alleged partisan political activities, according to a report by Peoples Gazette.

​In a statement issued on Tuesday, the governor’s media aide, Kayode Akinmade, announced that the State Executive Council approved the suspension under Section 52(1) of the Ogun State Obas and Chiefs Law, 2021. The directive was officially communicated via a letter dated October 20, 2026, signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat.

​State authorities stated that the action followed complaints regarding the monarch’s public political alignment, which allegedly violates customary laws and statutory prohibitions against partisan involvement by traditional rulers. The government warned that such conduct threatens peaceful coexistence among subjects.

​Consequently, the suspended monarch has been ordered to vacate the palace, refrain from parading himself as the Eselu, and cease using any royal paraphernalia, including crowns and beads, pending an official investigation. Copies of the directive were also transmitted to the Yewa North Local Government secretary and Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, for enforcement.