The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal filed by Ganiyu Ajiboye Busari, the man presented as the Oloja of Ago-Oja, in a major development in the long-running traditional chieftaincy dispute in Oyo State.
The Supreme Court ruling, delivered on September 28, 2026, dismissed Busari’s appeal against an earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division, which barred him from parading himself as Oloja on the grounds that the disputed title was not an existing traditional title in Oyo.
In the ruling delivered by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal in limine, bringing a major legal setback to Busari’s claim to the disputed traditional title.
The development has significant implications for the controversial elevation and coronation of Busari as Oloja of Ago-Oja, particularly because the earlier Court of Appeal judgment had already restrained him from parading himself as the holder of the title.
The dispute centres on the status of the Oloja of Ago-Oja title and its place within the traditional structure of Oyo. The creation and recognition of the title had generated a major disagreement involving the institution of the Alaafin of Oyo and the Oyo State Government.
Busari was subsequently installed and presented as the Oloja of Ago-Oja under the disputed arrangement. His position, however, became the subject of litigation, eventually reaching the Supreme Court after the Court of Appeal ruled against his claim.
With the Supreme Court now dismissing the appeal, the earlier judgment remains in force. The latest decision therefore leaves Busari without the legal basis to continue parading himself as Oloja under the judgment challenged before the apex court.
The ruling also has wider implications for the other traditional titles created or elevated under the same arrangement. The judgment has been interpreted as affecting the purported coronation of the Oloja and the recognition of other Alade Paali elevated by the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde.
The development could therefore reopen broader questions over the legality of the traditional titles and the authority under which they were created, particularly in relation to the historical and constitutional position of the Alaafin institution.
The Supreme Court decision also comes at a time when the traditional structure of Oyo has been the subject of intense public interest following the emergence of Oba Abimbola Owoade as the Alaafin of Oyo and renewed efforts to clarify the hierarchy and authority of traditional institutions within the ancient kingdom.
The latest judicial development strengthens the significance of the Court of Appeal judgment that had earlier restrained Busari from parading himself as Oloja. Anyone affected by the judgment who continues to act contrary to a subsisting court order could face further legal proceedings, depending on the specific terms and enforcement of the orders.
The Supreme Court’s dismissal therefore marks a significant moment in the Ago-Oja chieftaincy dispute, with the legal battle over Busari’s claim now facing a decisive development at Nigeria’s highest court.
For the Alaafin’s institution, the ruling represents a major judicial development in the contest over the disputed title and the traditional authority surrounding Ago-Oja, while for Busari, it leaves the earlier judgment against his claim standing.