Court Rejects Seriki’s Move To Stop Olubadan Coronation

High Chief Saliu Adetunji

An Oyo State High Court on Tuesday rejected Seriki line’s application seeking to stop the coronation of Chief Saliu Adetunji as the new Olubadan of Ibadanland.

The Punch report continues:

Chief Adebayo Oyediji, who is the head of Seriki line, is laying claim to the stool, which became vacant following the death of Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade on January 19.

Despite the pronouncement by the Olubadan-in-Council that Adetunji, who is the Balogun Olubadan is next in rank to be crowned the next Olubadan, Oyediji and other Seriki chiefs approached Justice Mukhtar Abimbola of the state High Court to restrain the Olubadan-in-Council from installing Adetunji as the next Olubadan pending the determination of the applications they had filed before   the court on their behalf by their lawyer, Abideen Adeniran.

They are also challenging the alleged consistent occupation of the throne by the Olubadan Chieftaincy lineage and the Balogun Chieftaincy lineage.

The state government and other contending lineages to the Olubadan throne were joined as co-respondents.

Adeniran said the applications were filed before the court because his clients were aware that the defendants had “perfected the plan of tampering with the res in this case, illegally. The res is the Olubadan of Ibadan chieftaincy stool, which is now vacant.”

Adediran drew the attention of the court to its subsisting interim injunction restraining the respondents from filling any of vacant High Chief positions and that of the Olubadan.

He alleged that the Olubadan and the Balogun lineages had disobeyed the order of the court by filling all the vacant High Chief positions such as Ekerin, Asipa, Otun and Osi.

Adediran, therefore, prayed the court to set aside all the purported appointments.

Ruling on the applications, the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Abimbola, said he would not grant the interim order application.

He said, “I want all other parties to be put on notice so as to be able to respond appropriately, consolidate the applications for the case to move on. Aside from this, even if the vacant stool is filled illegally, the court can remove the occupier. The res is not a perishable commodity. So, I hereby refuse the application for an interim order. I will not grant any interlocutory injunction since there is an intervening application.”

However, the judge granted the application seeking to serve the respondents by pasting the writ of summons on the wall of the chamber of the Olubadan-in-Council at Mapo Hall, Ibadan South-West Local Government Area.

The court adjourned the case till March 8 for argument.