The Palace of the Deji of Akure Land says there is no cause for alarm over the judgment delivered by the Ondo State High Court on the Iralepo chieftaincy dispute, insisting that the ruling does not invalidate existing Court of Appeal and Supreme Court positions on the status of the Iralepo of Isikan.
In a statement, the Chief Press Secretary to the Deji of Akure Land, Adeyeye Michael, the palace said it had directed its lawyers to immediately appeal the judgment delivered by Justice Sunday Olorundahunsi on October 12, 2026, in Suit No. AK/434/2022.
The palace described as misleading claims allegedly being circulated by some defendants in the suit, maintaining that the Iralepo of Isikan remains a quarter chief under the authority of the Deji of Akure Land.
It cited a judgment of the Ondo State High Court delivered on June 2, 2026, in Suit No. AK/156/2023, which affirmed that Isikan and Isolo are communities within Akure Land under the suzerainty of the Deji.
The palace also relied on a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on February 21, 2025, in Appeal No. CA/AK/69/2022, which set aside an earlier High Court judgment and declared the admission of the Iralepo chieftaincy into Part I of the Chiefs Law of Ondo State without the consent of the Deji unlawful.
According to the palace, the appellate court further declared Isikan a quarter in Akure Land and the Iralepo of Isikan a quarter chief under the Deji, while restraining the relevant respondents from recognising or installing an Iralepo under Part I of the Chiefs Law without the Deji’s consent.
It maintained that the Court of Appeal judgment remains valid and binding, having not been set aside by the Supreme Court.
The palace also faulted the latest trial court judgment, arguing that it failed to give due consideration to previous court decisions and existing government positions on the chieftaincy dispute.
It further referenced historical judgments concerning land disputes between Akure and Idanre, insisting that the legal position on the matter should be respected.
Despite its intention to challenge the ruling, the palace assured residents that the development would not disrupt the peace that had been maintained over the years.
It added that the Deji would continue to discharge his responsibilities as a father to all, irrespective of the challenges surrounding the dispute.
