Deji of Akure’s case against Gov Akeredolu comes up today

By BUSOLA SAMUEL, South West Nigeria

Whereas the presentation by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) of Staff of Office to the Osolo of Isolo has been frustrated by the Deji for four years, the Deji appears not to succeed in having such frustration of process as easy as he has had stalling the Osolo’s presentation of Staff of Office, in the Oralepo’s.

Today, Monday 15 November, 2021 is the appointed day for hearing on the application by Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, seeking an interlocutory injunction to stop the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) from carrying out his constitutional duty of sanctioning the installation of an Oba.

The Deji has been at war with two of the give Obas in Akure South Local Government Area in the state, saying they will no longer be addressed as Obas of their respective autonomous communities as recognised by chieftaincy laws of the state as well as customs and tradition of the ancient towns: the Osolo of Isolo and Oralepo of Isinkan.

Aside this, there are some Obas in Ifedore Local Government, who are of the same Akure speaking communities but have now said they are no longer part of Akure Kingdom, “not by our own volition but by the pronouncement of the Deji, who plans to make us mere chiefs as Baales. And because we are Obas and not chiefs, we are not part of Akure according to the Deji.”

Because the government of Ondo State, however, realises the full powers that are resident in it as the sole determinant of chieftaincy status of any community within the state it governs and the governor, incidentally being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a former President of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) knowing the position of the law in the matter, it has refused to advances from the palace of the Deji of Akure to make it stop to recognise both Osolo of Isolo and Oralepo of Isinkan as Obas of their autonomous communities.

It is this legal and official backing that the communities, which are currently victims of the Deji’s “strange” wishful acts, enjoy that gave smooth scale through to the selection processes by kingmakers and coronations as demanded by customs and traditions of their respective autonomous communities as Osolo of Isolo, over four years ago, and Oralepo of Isinkan, some eleven days back, precisely 4 November, 2021.

Whereas the presentation by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) of Staff of Office to the Osolo of Isolo has been frustrated by the Deji for four years, the Deji appears not to succeed in having such frustration of process as easy as he has had stalling the Osolo’s presentation of Staff of Office, in the Oralepo’s.

“This is because, despite his mid-night installation, which is strange to history of the core Yoruba kingdom as it connects to Ile Ife, of a so called chief of Isinkan, the Isinkan community, knowing that installation of their Oba like Isolo autonomous community, is by its own traditional system under the state chieftaincy law and not by Deji of Akure, had gone ahead and installed their Oba, the Oralepo of Isinkan,” a source in Akure said.

Deji’s attempt to use court to frustrate Oralepo’s Staff of Office

It was following this development that the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo, dragged the Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, particularly to stop him from effecting the presentation of Staff of Office to the Oralepo, Oba olugbenga Ojo Adimula, Arulewolasi III, who on Thursday 4 November, 2021 was already installed by the legally recognised Isinkan customs and traditions to the throne.

Oba Aladetoyinbo, who was recently appointed Chairman, Ondo State Council of Obas by the same governor he dragged to court, had approached the Ondo State High Court, Akure, to seek an interlocutory injunction restraining Governor Akeredolu, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice alongside six other defendants over what many notable sons and daughters of the Akure Kingdom have described as avoidable kingship crisis.

He prayed the court to stop the defendants from effecting the selection of the new Oralepo of Isikan, “pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.” It was gathered that a hearing of the case was scheduled for November 15, 2021, which is today.

The plaintiffs are the Deji, the Lisa of Akure Land, High Chief F.S Olubodun; the Sao of Akure, Chief M.A Adebayo; the Asamo of Akure, High Chief R.F Olusanya and the Ajana of Akure, High Chief O. Olalusi.

The defendants are Governor Akeredolu, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Ondo State, Funmilayo Afe, Olasehinde Abidakun, James Kolawole, Williams Tafa, Gbenga Ojo and Bayo Ojo.

Oba Aladelusi is also asking the court to restrain the state Attorney General and other defendants from presenting themselves for the installation of the new Oralepo, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

A few weeks ago, Isinkan kingmakers, in an election process under the supervision of Akure South Local Council, had declared unopposed Prince Oluwagbenga Ojo Adimula, who came first in the election process, as the Oralepo-elect. Surprisingly, week after, precisely on 4 October, 2021, the Deji, who is known customarily and traditionally to be an unconnected party in the process, issued a statement from his palace announcing an appointment by him of a High Chief of Isinkan in the person of Prince Henry Adeyeye, who himself had partaken in election witnessed by government to be King Oralepo but came second.

The Deji’s action drew the wrath of the Isinkan leaders and people as it was clearly seen he did it to defy the kingmakers’ election supervised by the state government officials, represented by the Chairman of Akure South Local Government, Gbenga Fasua.

To actualise his “autocratic imposition of a high chief believed to be a willing heart traitor in the kingship contestant, Adeyeye who came second”, the Deji was said to have sent thugs from Akure to Isinkan venue of Olugbenga Ojo’s Ipebi (seclusion) venue to desrupt the Oralepo installation process that had been peaceful but failed because of determination of the people.

Deji’s case is “dead on arrival” – Oba Oralepo

Speaking on the suit against the state government and others, the Chief Press Secretary to Oba Aladetoyinbo, Michael Adeyeye, said: “The Deji is just asking the court to interpret judgments of the Appeal and Supreme courts.

“The government had not officially recognised Iralepo, and we are aware of that, though there are some political moves by some individuals. So, it is just for the court to ensure that the judgment of the Appeal and the Supreme Court is upheld.

“We discovered that the Isikan people have suddenly turned themselves to court, interpreting the judgment. However, we don’t want to be confrontational, we must allow peace to reign. That is why Deji in his wisdom decided to avoid unnecessary crisis…”

But Ojo, the Oralepo, who emerged in the election process supervised by the state government, said the litigation embarked on by the Deji is “dead on arrival.”

Ojo, who reacted through his media aide, Mr. Oladimeji Babatunde, explained, “The status quo that is obvious to the blind and audible to the deaf is that there is a new Oba in Isinkan, according to the traditions and custom of Isinkan Land.

“Verifiable facts equally affirm that there was a free and fair selection process for filling the then-vacant position of Oba Iralepo of Isinkan. The selection was conducted by the Uharefa of Isinkan with officials of the Akure South Local Government as observers and independent moderators.

“The process was properly concluded and the outcome publicly announced.

This fact was well televised and broadcast all over the world. The Uharefa and the people of Isinkan thereafter meticulously followed their traditions and custom by performing all necessary traditional rites.

“The traditional rite of assumption of Ojopo, that is the assumption of office, preceded by his final presentation to the people at the “Okitiomolore” ceremony had been concluded…”

Ojo, who has concluded all the ancient rites, said the Alodu (female Regent) had already exited the Aafin (palace) for the new Oba and that the Kabiyesi had effectively taken charge of the affairs of Isinkan.

“So, asking for an injunction, when all processes had been peacefully concluded is a futile effort that is obviously dead on arrival.”

The new Oralepo of Isinkan, Oba Oluwagbenga Ojo Adimula Arulewolasi II, is a lawyer.