BREAKING: Ondo Govt, Oba Iralepo withdraw application for stay of execution over Appeal Court judgment

By KEMI KASUMU

The Ondo State government and the Iralepo of Isinkan, Oba Oluwagbemiga Ojo Olofin-Adimula Arulewolasi III, have formally withdrawn their application for a stay of execution, which was filed before the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure.

The decision to withdraw the application follows the appellate court’s ruling that it no longer has jurisdiction to entertain the matter since the case has been escalated to the Supreme Court.

During the proceedings, the panel of justices underscored the principle of judicial hierarchy, emphasizing that once an appeal has been properly entered at the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal loses its authority over any interlocutory applications or related matters.

This legal stance is consistent with past rulings, reinforcing the fact that once a case moves to the apex court, lower courts must refrain from making further pronouncements on the subject.

Legal experts have weighed in on the development, noting that the appellate court’s ruling aligns with standard judicial principles governing jurisdiction and due process.

According to them, when a party escalates a case to the Supreme Court, it essentially signals that all related proceedings at lower courts should be put on hold until the apex court delivers its final verdict.

This is to prevent any form of conflicting judgments that could arise from multiple judicial levels handling the same matter simultaneously.

The dispute between the Iralepo of Isinkan and the Deji of Akure has been a subject of legal contention, drawing attention to traditional and chieftaincy matters in Ondo State.

While the Supreme Court is set to determine the substantive case, the Court of Appeal’s ruling is regarded as a procedural milestone in the unfolding legal dispute.

Oba Oluwagbemiga Olofin-Adimula Arulewolasi III remains the Iralepo of Isinkan kingdom.