Vacant Olubadan tussle: Court adjourns Oyediji suit till Feb 16
By; Bayo Akamo, Ibadan.
An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan yesterday adjourned the legal tussle over the vacant stool of Olubadan of Ibadan till February 16.
In the suit brought by Chief Adebayo Oyediji of the Seriki Line of Olubadan against the Olubadan-in-Council, Chief Oyediji, he was praying the court to restrain the kingmakers from installing the Olubadan-designate, High Chief Saliu Adetunji as the new Olubadan.
The head of Seriki line, through his counsel, Barrister Abideen Adeniran is claiming to be the next qualified candidate for the Olubadan stool from the Seriki line.
Chief Adetunji is also seeking a restraining order against elevation of any of the High Chiefs in the Olubadan and Balogun Lines.
At the hearing of the suit yesterday before Justice Mukthar Abimbola, the counsel to the Olubadan in Council, Barrister Michael Lana, informed the court that he just took over the matter and so would need some time to study the application and respond to it.
Barrister Lana declared that some of the parties in the matter had died and so there would be need for some regularisation and substitution of the parties before the substance of the matter could be heard.
Counsel to the head of Seriki line, Barrister Adeniran opposed the application for adjournment, adding, “they have all opportunities to react because they have been served since eight days ago”.
Justice Abimbola however insisted that on the ground of fair hearing, “you know I cannot hear you if they have not reacted. That is fair hearing”.
It will be recalled that Chief Oyediji “is seeking an amendment to reflect the earlier order of the court made by Justice M.O. Ishola in 2008, where he sought a declaration that “by the provision of the consent judgment delivered by the High Court in suit No. I/313/88, it is the turn of the claimants to produce the next Olubadan of Ibadan on both the Olubadan line and the Balogun line”.
He is also seeking an order of the court “setting aside the purported appointments made by the 1st defendant (late Oba Odulana) to fill vacancies existing in the chieftaincy titles of Ekerin Olubadan, Ashipa Olubadan, Osi Olubadan, Otun Olubadan and Balogun Olubadan of Ibadan since the 21st of November, 2008 up till the last appointment he made on the 1st of January, 2016”.
The head of Seriki line is further seeking an order “setting aside the purported approval granted by the Governor of Oyo state on the 5th of January, 2016 or thereabout to the appointments made by the 1st defendant on the 1st of January, 2016 to fill vacancies existing in the chieftaincy titles”.
A previous court had on November 21, 2008 granted the application of the Seriki Line, saying, “The interlocutory injunction succeeds. The four interlocutory injunctions prayed for are hereby granted”.
Justice Abimbola then urged the two counsels to agree on a date but immediately Barrister. Lana suggested a date in March, Barrister Adeniran objected, saying March date was suggested for ulterior motive as it was too long.
They however agreed on February 16, 2016 for the Olubadan-in-Council to react to the application, as well as regularise the issue of parties to the suit.
