Court sacks monarch in Ondo
Oba Babajide Oluwole, Olu-Oke of Oke-Igbo in the Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo Local Government of the state, has been deposed by the Ondo State High Court, sitting in Ondo town.
The court invalidated the appointment of the traditional ruler after admitting that Oba Oluwole, who was crowned monarch of the community in 2018, was not a member of the ruling house whose turn it was, at the time, to fill the town’s vacant stool.
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Rufus Adekanye and Temitope Adeoye, respectively the Head and Secretary of the Aare Kugbaigbe Ruling House, had petitioned the court to challenge the state government’s enthronement of Oba Oluwole.
The suit was also joined by the kingmakers.
According to the complaint filed by their attorney, Mr. Sola Ebiseni, the claimants asserted that the defendant was not a member of the Aare Kugbaigbe Ruling House, whose responsibility it was to nominate a candidate for the throne, and that the throne remained vacant.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Ademola Enikuemehin, the court acknowledged that Oluwole was neither a member of the ruling house that produced the king nor qualified to be presented as a candidate for the kingship.
In the ruling, the judge ruled that “the Olu-Oke of Oke-Igbo Chieftaincy in the Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo Local Government Area of Ondo State is subject to the Declaration in Part two of Justice Adeloye Judicial Commission Of Inquiry On Chieftaincy Matters and the Chiefs Law CAP 27 Volume 1 Laws of Ondo State 2006.”
The judge said, “Under the Olu-Oke of Oke-Igbo Declaration contained in Part Two of Justice Adeloye Judicial Commission Of Inquiry On Chieftaincy Matters, eligibility to the throne is restricted to the descendants of (1) Odo Eleyowo (2) Aare Kugbaigbe (3) Kuole Oloje (4) Aderin Ologbenla (5) Ajibike Adedimeji of the male linage who is thus constituted as the five Ruling Houses of the Chieftaincy.
“Under and by virtue of the Oke-Igbo Declaration contained in Part Two of the Justice Adeloye Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Chieftaincy Matters, only members of the Aare Kugbaigbe Ruling House of the male linage are eligible to be proposed as the candidate(s) and be made an Oba at the turn of the Ruling House.
“According to the Olu-Oke of Oke- Igbo Declaration contained in Part Two of the Justice Adeloye Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Chieftaincy Matters, it is the responsibility of the Are Kugbaigbe Ruling House to present candidate(s) to fill the vacant stool of the Olu-Oke of Oke- Igbo Chieftaincy.
“Because the fifth defendant (Oba Oluwole) is not a descendant of the Aare Kugbaigbe, he is not a member of the Aare Kugbaigbe Ruling House and is therefore ineligible under the declaration to be proposed as a candidate for the vacant stool of or to be made the Olu-Oke of Oke-Igbo.”
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In addition, the court issued an injunction prohibiting “the fifth defendant from or further parading himself or permitting himself to be paraded as or accorded the rights and privileges pertaining to the person, title, and office of the Olu-Oke of Oke-Igbo.”
It prohibited the defendants “jointly and severally from parading as or otherwise claiming the recognition, rights, and privileges of the Olu-Oke of Oke-Igbo,” according to the fifth defendant.
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