DSS Invites Ekiti Monarch For Demanding Chair Governor Oyebanji Sat On At Church Service

The Department of State Services (DSS) has invited the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, Oba Adeniyi Adeola Ajakaiye, for questioning.

This comes following a dispute over a chair used by Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji during a church thanksgiving service.

The matter arose after the governor attended a thanksgiving service at Babamuboni Memorial Anglican Church in Iyin-Ekiti on May 31, 2026.

Oyebanji had attended the event at the invitation of Senate Leader Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, who is from Iyin-Ekiti, days before the Ekiti governorship election.

After the service, the Oluyin’s Palace reportedly contacted the church and requested that the particular chair occupied by the governor be handed over to the palace.

The church’s vicar, Ven. Dr. Samuel Sunday Agunbiade, reportedly rejected the request, which the church considered unusual.

The palace later sent a formal letter to the church, asking for the chair to be delivered to the palace for as “royal custody and appropriate traditional rites.”

The letter, dated June 17, 2026, was signed by the Secretary of the Oluyin-in-Council, Chief Elejide Omobulejo.

In the letter, the council acknowledged an earlier apology from the church over an unfortunate incident involving the governor’s visit.

The letter stated, “I am directed by His Royal Majesty, Oba, Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, and the entire Oluyin-in-Council to acknowledge with due respect the receipt of your letter of apology to the revered stool dated 4th June 2026.

“The said letter addressed the unfortunate incident that transpired during the visit of the Executive Governor of Ekiti State to the Thanksgiving Service in your church.

“After due consultation and deliberation, the Oluyin-in-Council has resolved as follows:

“That the said chair which was the subject of the grievous incident be conveyed forthwith to the Palace of the Oluyin for Royal custody and appropriate Traditional rites.”

The council also directed that any replacement chair should be properly guarded to prevent another incident affecting the sanctity of the traditional stool.

“That the replacement chair to be commissioned henceforth shall be placed under strict and adequate guard at all times, to avert any future desecration or recurrence of such grave oversight against the sanctity of the stool.”

However, the Anglican Church refused to hand over the chair, maintaining that it belonged to the church.

The church explained that the chair was no longer available in its original form because it had been dismantled and incorporated into the altar furniture.

Church authorities said they were not permitted to transfer or remove dedicated church property for purposes outside the rules and procedures of the Anglican Church.

“Consequently, the Church is not at liberty to surrender, transfer, or remove dedicated Church property for external purposes outside the procedures prescribed by ecclesiastical authority.”

“As custodians of these properties, we are duty-bound to preserve and administer them in accordance with the doctrine, discipline, and governance of the Church,” it added.

Despite the church’s response, the palace reportedly continued to insist on its request.

The disagreement has also been linked to the subsequent transfer of the church’s vicar, Ven. Dr. Agunbiade, who was said to have opposed the palace’s demand.

Some residents have raised questions about whether the vicar’s transfer was connected to the dispute.

However, the reason for his transfer could not be independently confirmed from the documents available.

The palace’s request has sparked controversy in Iyin-Ekiti, with some residents questioning why the specific chair used by the governor was being sought for “traditional rites.”

Some residents have also alleged that the chair could have been intended for ritual purposes against the governor. But here is no independent evidence establishing those claims.

The reported involvement of the DSS has added to concerns in the community, with residents calling for clarity on why the monarch was invited and what the palace intended by its reference to traditional rites.

They urged DSS to investigate the circumstances surrounding the request and determine the purpose for which the chair was allegedly wanted.

The DSS has not publicly stated why the monarch was invited for questioning.

The Oluyin’s Palace has also not publicly provided further details about the specific traditional rites mentioned in its correspondence with the church.

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