By; Bayo Akamo, Ibadan.
The head of Seriki line in Ibadan, Chief Adebayo Oyediji has asked an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan to set aside Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s approval of the appointment and installation of Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji as the new Olubadan of Ibadan land.
Chief Oyediji at the resumed hearing of the case through his Counsel, Barrister Abideen Adediran brought a motion urging the Court to set aside the approval made by Ajimobi and all the purported appointment made by the Olubadan-in-Council.
The head of Seriki line told the court that the approval and the appointment were made in contempt of the Court.
Counsel to the new Olubadan and the Olubadan in Council, Barrister Michael Lana while responding, told the Court that he has filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the Court on the matter.
Reacting to Barrister Lana’s comment, the Counsel to Chief Oyediji, Barrister Adediran informed the Court that the preliminary objection of the respondent was just served on him and that he needed time to respond to it.
He then prayed the Court for an adjournment with Justice Muktah Abimbola adjourning the case till April 14 for argument
and strike out the name of the five defendants who were now deceased from the suit as earlier prayed by the plaintiff.
It will be recalled that the Head of Seriki line, Chief Oyediji few weeks ago filed a suit before Justice Abimbola praying the Court for an order that it is the turn of the Seriki line to produce the next Olubadan with the death of Oba Samuel Odulana.
Chief Oyediji who joined Governor Ajimobi and the Olubadan-in-Council as defendants, also in a motion sought for an order to restrain the state government and the Olubadan-in-Council from installing the new Olubadan
In the motion, Oyediji queried the continuous occupation of the throne by the Otun and Balogun lines despite the court’s subsisting order of interim injunction restraining the respondents from filling any of vacant high chief positions and that of the Olubadan.
Chief Oyediji alleged that the Otun and the Balogun lines had disobeyed the order of the Court by filling all the vacant high chief positions and prayed the court to set aside all the purported appointments.
But Justice Muktah Abimbola refused to grant the order.
