The Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly invited the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, Oba Adeniyi Adeola Ajakaiye, for questioning over an alleged request for the chair used by Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, during a thanksgiving service in the community.
The development reportedly followed a correspondence between the monarch’s palace and the Babamuboni Memorial Anglican Church, Iyin-Ekiti, concerning the chair used by the governor during the service.
Governor Oyebanji attended the church programme on May 31, 2026, following an invitation from the Senate Leader and indigene of Iyin-Ekiti, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele.
According to the account, the Oluyin subsequently requested that the specific chair occupied by the governor be released to the palace for what was described as “royal custody and appropriate traditional rites.”
The church reportedly declined the request, with its leadership maintaining that the chair was church property and could not be transferred outside established ecclesiastical procedures.
In a letter attributed to the Oluyin-in-Council, the palace reportedly stated 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.”
The church, in its response, reportedly explained that the original chair was no longer available, having been dismantled and incorporated into altar furnishings.
The church stated: “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.”
It added that, as custodians of church property, its officials were “duty-bound to preserve and administer them in accordance with the doctrine, discipline, and governance of the Church.”
The alleged request has generated controversy in Iyin-Ekiti, with some residents expressing concern over the circumstances surrounding the palace’s demand.
There are also claims that the church’s vicar, Ven. Dr. Samuel Sunday Agunbiade, was subsequently transferred after refusing to release the chair. However, the circumstances surrounding the transfer have not been independently established.
Some residents have alleged that the request may have had a sinister motive, including claims that the chair could have been intended for traditional or ritual purposes. However, there is no established evidence in the material available to independently substantiate those allegations.
The reported invitation by the DSS has further heightened interest in the matter, with residents calling for an investigation to establish the reason behind the request and determine whether any offence was committed.
The development has also generated broader discussions about the intersection of traditional authority, religious institutions and political activities, particularly during an election period.
As of the time of this report, there has been no detailed public statement from the DSS explaining the reason for inviting the Oluyin, while the monarch and his representatives have yet to publicly provide a full account of the circumstances surrounding the alleged request.
