Tensions escalate in Osun as monarch accuses state Speaker of d£ath threats
Osun Assembly Speaker, Hon Adewale Edun
A deepening crisis has rocked Osun State following explosive allegations by a traditional ruler, Oba Oyewale Isaac, the Alasi of Asi in Odo-Otin Local Government Area, against the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Adewale Egbedun.
In a formal petition submitted to the Nigeria Police Force, the monarch accused Speaker Egbedun of threatening his life with assassination, dethronement, and imprisonment.
The petition, dated July 29, 2025, was addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone XI Headquarters, Osogbo, and filed through the monarch’s legal representative, Chief K.E. Ngwoke.
The petition claims that Egbedun made the threats during a phone call with one of the monarch’s wives, Olori Idowu.
A leaked audio reportedly overheard featured a voice alleged to be the Speaker’s, saying, “The God of Iron will kill him wherever he is,” and threatening that the monarch would be “beaten, stripped of his crown, and remanded in Ilesa tomorrow.”
The dispute is believed to have originated from the arrest of a youth from Asi community earlier this year, reportedly ordered by the Speaker. Oba Oyewale said he merely reached out to inquire about the arrest but was instead met with hostility and threats.
“Our client’s life is in imminent danger,” the petition states, noting that the monarch has avoided returning to his palace out of fear for his safety.
In response, Speaker Egbedun, through his Chief Press Secretary, Olamide Tiamiyu, denied the allegations and accused the monarch of attempting to interfere in ongoing security investigations. He also claimed that his convoy was recently attacked in Okuku and suggested that the monarch’s discomfort stems from his recent relocation to Asi to be closer to his constituents.
Egbedun admitted that the audio recording captured some of his statements but described them as emotional reactions provoked by persistent threats. “I apologise for my emotional outbursts, but they were made in self-defense. There is no smoke without fire,” he said.
The standoff has raised alarm about the growing strain between traditional rulers and political officeholders in Osun. Security agencies are said to be closely monitoring the situation to prevent further escalation.
Observers are calling for a peaceful resolution, warning that continued friction between the state’s political and traditional leadership could destabilize the region.
