Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has directed the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dosu Babatunde, to address the crisis surrounding the throne of Oba Joseph Oloyede, the Apetu of Ipetumodu, who is serving a prison sentence in the United States for fraud, as community factions clash over calls to declare the stool vacant.

Adeleke issued the instruction Friday during the State Executive Council meeting, describing the development as an "ugly" situation that requires urgent intervention. The order comes amid escalating tensions in Ipetumodu, where some residents and princes from the ruling houses—Aribile and Fagbemokun—demand a replacement, while others insist the throne remain vacant until Oloyede's return.

A recent princes' meeting descended into chaos over the issue, with kingmakers, led by Asalu Chief Sunday Afolabi Adedeji, opposing dethronement without official directives.

Oba Oloyede, 62, a dual U.S.-Nigerian citizen and naturalized American, was sentenced on August 26, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko in the Northern District of Ohio to 56 months (over four years) in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and tax fraud. He was ordered to pay $4,408,543.38 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release.

The monarch, who also worked as a tax preparer, conspired with Edward Oluwasanmi from April 2020 to February 2022 to exploit COVID-19 relief programs like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), securing over $4.2 million through 38 fraudulent applications for his businesses, including Available Tax Services, Available Financial, and Available Transportation. He also filed false claims for clients, taking 15-20% kickbacks without IRS reporting.

Oloyede's arrest in May 2024 followed an FBI warrant, and he was released on $20,000 bail after surrendering passports. His prolonged absence, including missing traditional festivals, had already raised concerns in Ipetumodu before the sentencing. The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) urged Adeleke in late August to initiate dethronement to protect traditional institutions' integrity. Information Commissioner Kolapo Alimi confirmed the governor's directive in a statement, noting Adeleke's call for swift action to resolve the "ugly development."

Prince Olaboye Ayoola from the Aribile Ruling House welcomed the move, hoping it eases tensions and leads to a replacement from his house, as Oloyede is alive but incarcerated. No timeline for Babatunde's actions was specified, but the intervention could involve obtaining a certified true copy of the judgment and consulting kingmakers under Osun's chieftaincy laws.