The Babamuboni Memorial Anglican Church in Iyin-Ekiti has
rejected a request from Adeniyi Adeola Ajakaiye, the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti.
The monarch had demanded that the chair used by Biodun
Oyebanji, governor of Ekiti, during a special occasion at the church, be
transferred to the palace.
It was a request the Anglican Church immediately baulked at.
IN THE BEGINNING…
The event, which took place just days before the 2026 Ekiti
governorship election, had a raft of other political dignitaries in attendance.
After the thanksgiving service, the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti
asked for the chair the governor sat on.
In a letter dated June 17, 2026 and addressed to the vicar
of the church, the Oluyin palace specified that the chair be conveyed to the
courtyard for “royal custody and appropriate traditional rites”.
“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 letter reads.
“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 Oluyin-in-Council views this development as a
reaffirmation of the mutual respect and cordiality that has long existed
between the Palace and Babamuboni Memorial Anglican Church.”
The letter was signed by Elejide Omobulejo, the secretary of
Oluyin-in-council.
THE CHURCH RESPONDS
In a letter dated June 18, 2026 and addressed to the palace,
the church said it cannot “surrender, transfer, or remove” any church property
for “external purposes outside the procedures prescribed by ecclesiastical
authority”.
The church said the chair in question no longer exists in
the form in which it was used during the thanksgiving service.
It added that the pews and related furnishings “have been
removed from their previous configuration” due to ongoing refurbishment of the
edifice.
“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,” the letter reads.
“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.
“The Anglican Church is an episcopally led and synodically
governed institution. Decisions affecting Church property, sacred furnishings,
and matters of ecclesiastical administration are not exercised solely at the
discretion of local officers but are governed by established constitutional and
canonical processes.
“Accordingly, compliance with the request would raise
ecclesiastical and administrative implications extending beyond the authority
vested in the local Church.
“It is important to respectfully inform the Council that the
chair referred to in the correspondence no longer exists in the form in which
it was used on the day in question.
“As part of the ongoing refurbishment and restructuring of
the Church, the former pews and related furnishings have been removed from
their previous configuration.
“Several have already been distributed to other Churches for
continued use, while new pews are currently being installed.
‘The particular chair under reference has since undergone
reconstruction, resizing, and integration into the Church’s altar furnishing as
part of the approved renovation works. It therefore no longer exists as a
separate or identifiable item capable of being removed and conveyed elsewhere.”
The letter was signed by Falodun Taiwo, Parish Church
Council (PCC) secretary; Adebayo Busayo Abiodun, People’s Warden; and Samuel
Sunday Agunbiade, Vicar & Archdeacon.
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