Head Kingmakers, royal family Kick as Adeleke appoints Traditional Ruler against Court order.
Sequel to the recent approval given by Osun state Governor Ademola Adeleke for the installation of Prince Johnson Ajiboye as the Olola of Ola, in Ejigbo Local Government of Osun State, the Head of the Kingmakers, Dr. Femi Fasanya, and the contending royal family have kicked against the process.
Ola town had experienced an uneasy calm after Adeleke approved the appointment of Ajiboye at the State Executive Council meeting despite a court order restraining him from making the appointment.
Fasanya and the Olugbode section of Ejitunde ruling house represented by Mr. Kolawole Sangoniran kicked against the government approval because of a subsisting court order restraining and barring all parties involved in the matter from installing any candidate as the Oba pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The appointee was installed by only a section of the kingmakers.
The Olugbode section of Ejitunde ruling house had sued Ajiboye, the Osun State Government and others in suit No: HEJ/312020, after which a restraining order was issued against the parties last December.
Fasanya disowned the process leading to Ajiboye’s enthronement.
He said: “I was not involved in the installation of this king appointed by the Governor. I was not involved because of the court order. Court will determine the issue.”
The first plaintiff in the matter, Sangoniran, blamed civil servants in the Ministry of Justice and Chieftaincy Affairs for misleading Governor Adeleke on the appointment, and said it amounted to a contempt of court.
He explained: “After the demise of Oba J.A. Akinpelu in 2020, the next ruling house expected to present a candidate for the vacant stool was the Ejitunde Ruling House, which comprises (Ile Ejitunde and Ile Olugbode).
“Needless to say that Ile Ejitunde had ruled Ola twice, while Ile Olugbode is yet to take its rightful turn.
“This time around, we called a meeting and they started avoiding us which led us to approach the court for adjudication. Suffice to say that the case has since been in court since 2021 and there are two injunctions barring any assumption of a new Olola until the case is determined. To our surprise, Ile Ejitunde was given certificate to ascend the throne which they did one night around 8.30/9pm.
“Suffice to say that the nocturnal installation took place around 9pm without the head of the kingmakers (Dr. Femi Fasanya) in attendance because he knew that their action is illegal. Suffice to say that the two other kingmakers performed the so-called installation without the head of the kingmakers who abstained. It is also important to mention that the other two kingmakers were served letters by our lawyer that the case is in court and there is an interim injunction stopping any installation.”
However, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dosu Babatunde, who spoke through the Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Ogundun, said the government was not aware of any restraining order.
He said: “The Adeleke government is a law-abiding administration. It cannot be aware of the restraining order and go ahead to appoint the monarch. We are going to mediate among the parties involved, to prevent a breakdown of law and order in the community.”
