The Babamuboni Memorial Anglican Church in Iyin-Ekiti has formally declined a demand from the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, Adeniyi Adeola Ajakaiye, to surrender the chair used by Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji during a church service. The palace had requested the chair for 'royal custody and appropriate traditional rites,' but the church responded with a firm refusal, citing ecclesiastical law and the fact that the chair had already been altered.
Background of the Dispute
The conflict traces back to May 31, 2026, when Governor Oyebanji attended the 60th birthday thanksgiving service of Omolade Foluso Bamidele, younger brother of Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, at the church. The event took place just days before the 2026 Ekiti governorship election and attracted several political figures.
Following the service, the Oluyin's palace sent a letter to the church's vicar on June 17, 2026, requesting that the chair be moved to the royal courtyard for 'royal custody and appropriate traditional rites.' The palace also asked that any replacement chair be placed under permanent guard to prevent what it described as future desecration or a repeat of 'such grave oversight against the sanctity of the stool.' The letter, signed by Elejide Omobulejo, secretary of the Oluyin-in-Council, framed the request as consistent with the long-standing relationship between the palace and the church.
The Church's Response
One day later, on June 18, 2026, the church responded in a letter that made its position clear from the outset. Signed by Vicar and Archdeacon Samuel Sunday Agunbiade, People's Warden Adebayo Busayo Abiodun, and Parish Church Council secretary Falodun Taiwo, the letter said the church could not 'surrender, transfer, or remove' any of its property for purposes outside what is permitted under ecclesiastical authority.
The church added a crucial practical point: the chair no longer exists in the form it was used during the thanksgiving service. According to the letter, an ongoing refurbishment of the building had led to the removal and redistribution of the old pews, with some sent to other churches. The specific chair in question had since been 'reconstructed, resized, and integrated into the Church's altar furnishing' as part of approved renovation works, making it impossible to isolate and hand over.
Ecclesiastical Authority and Implications
The church also emphasised that decisions involving church property are not made locally but are governed by the 'constitutional and canonical processes' of the Anglican institution, which is 'episcopally led and synodically governed.' Complying with the palace's demand, the letter noted, would carry ecclesiastical and administrative consequences beyond what local officers are authorised to handle.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Legit.ng reported that the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, announced on Saturday, January 25, the disbandment of the Sharia panel that had been set up at the Central Mosque in Ado Ekiti. The decision, according to the monarch, was made in the interest of maintaining peace, law, and order within the community.
