Osun govt directs Council of Obas to monitor Oluwo over controversial remarks

Osun State Government has directed the State Council of Obas to monitor developments in Iwo following concerns over public statements attributed to the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, which it believes could threaten religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

The government also instructed the monarch to desist from making comments against other religious groups and fellow traditional rulers, warning that further actions capable of creating communal tension would not be tolerated.

The directive was contained in an official letter issued by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and signed by Wale Alliyu on behalf of the Permanent Secretary.

The letter, dated November 2026, was referenced CD.17/1/VOL.VIII/377 and addressed directly to the Oluwo.

A copy was also forwarded to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, as chairman of the Osun State Council of Obas.

According to the state government, “the decision followed observations of several public statements credited to Oba Akanbi considered capable of generating religious disagreements and confrontations between communities.”

The government said the development had become a source of concern, alleging that the monarch’s public engagements were contributing to communal tension and undermining the cultural values associated with traditional institutions.

In the letter, the government stated that the traditional institution should promote unity and preserve the customs of the people rather than become a platform for religious disagreements.

It emphasised that every Nigerian citizen was constitutionally entitled to freedom of religion and that traditional rulers were expected to respect the rights of residents within their respective domains.

The letter stated: “You cannot, and you must not, conduct yourself in any way that can foment religious crisis through serial attacks on people of other faiths.”

The government warned against verbal confrontations involving other traditional rulers, saying such exchanges could generate disagreements between towns and threaten peaceful relations among communities.

It directed the Oluwo to “respect the provisions of the state’s Chieftaincy Laws, as well as the resolutions and behavioural guidelines established by the Osun State Council of Obas.”

Among the measures announced, the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs said it would monitor the monarch’s compliance with the directives, while the Council of Obas was instructed to pay attention to developments in Iwo.

The letter also accused the monarch of making statements that could undermine the traditional values of Yoruba society, declaring that the government would not accept actions capable of resulting in violence.

Although the government did not identify all the specific statements that informed its action, Oba Akanbi has previously made public comments questioning some traditional Yoruba religious practices and the activities of other monarchs.

In a video published on his Facebook page on July 1, the Oluwo criticised traditional rites and seclusion associated with the installation of new monarchs, describing the practices as an avenue for subjecting royal fathers to idolatry.

He also questioned the concept of ancient crowns in another video shared on October 10, arguing that crowns were products of the monarchs who wore them.

However, the monarch’s Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem, when contacted for a reaction, denied that the palace received such correspondence.

Ibraheem said the Oluwo had not received any letter from the Osun State Government, despite the government’s position that the correspondence had been delivered to the monarch’s secretary on Tuesday.