Pelumi Olajengbesi, a Lawyer for the public interest who practices in Abuja, has urged Governor Seyi Makinde to use his influence to ensure that the rule of law triumphs in the kingship dispute between the two ruling houses of Emiolu and Oshunbiyi, who are both from the Iresa-Adu community and both reside in the Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Olajengbesi pleaded with the governor to make sure that everyone engaged in the situation postpones any further steps on Aresa’s vacant seat pending the hearing and decision of the Court of Appeal, which is sitting in the state capital of Ibadan.
In a statement released on Saturday, the lawyer said with the demise of the Oba Jimoh Oyeyemi Oloyede from the Oshunbiyi ruling house in 2018, the Emiolu ruling house is entitled to produce the next Aresa of Iresa-Adu as the two ruling houses operate the principle of rotation.
However, Olajengbesi, the Managing Partner of the law firm, Law Corridor, the lawyers of the Emiolu ruling house, said some misguided individuals bent on ruining communal harmony have taken steps against the clear provisions of the Chieftaincy Declaration and continued to instigate frivolous and untraditional means to gain access to the vacant throne of Aresa.
The statement partly read, “For the records, the Chieftaincy Declaration without ambiguity provides that each of the ruling houses shall take turns in presenting a ruler whenever there is a vacancy in the stool of Aresa.
“Clear to say that the Late Oba Jimoh Oyeyemi Oloyede of Oshunbiyi ruling house was installed in the year 2000 and superintended over the affairs of Aresa land for about eighteen (18) years until his demise in the year 2018.
“While we reckon that the Oshunbiyi House had their internal squabble over the ascension of Late Oba Jimoh, we make bold to say that a soothsayer is not required to tell that the next family in turn to present a ruler is the Emiolu house, following the demise of Late Oba Jimoh.
“Notwithstanding this irrefutable circumstance, some individuals perhaps working against the gazetted Chieftaincy Declaration of Iresa-Adu have continued to institute unwarranted suits against the throne of Aresa and against the traditional right of the Emiolu family.
“In a deserving attempt to protect their right, the Emiolu house approached the High Court of Oyo State to seek the court’s intervention in according the House their right to the throne.
“Unfortunately the High Court relying on a Court of Appeal order granted over an internal dispute within the Oshunbiyi family, and without considering the requisite Chieftaincy Declaration and other relevant material facts, dismissed the case of Emiolu House over a Preliminary Objection filed on behalf of the Oshunbiyi ruling house and further ordered that the Oshunbiyi family whose son (Late Oba Jimoh Oyeyemi Oloyede) just left the throne after 18 years, to further produce the next king to preside over the affairs of Iresa-Adu kingdom.
“We consider this order to be a gross miscarriage of justice particularly on the ground that the Emiolu Family was not a party to the case giving rise to the Court of Appeal’s order the basis of which the High Court dismissed the matter.
“Also, we are of the firm view that the High Court failed to consider the fact that the Oshunbiyi house would be benefiting from their own iniquities if allowed to present another ruler while equity strongly leans against double portion.
“Consequently, we have instituted an Appeal against the judgement of the High Court before the Court of Appeal sitting at Ibadan. This will enable us present the case of the Emiolu house before Our Lord Justices of the Appellate Court and we are confident that the dice of justice will roll in favor of the Emiolu Ruling house while the traditional mandate of the family shall be judicially and justiciably restored.
“In view of the above, we wish to state emphatically clear that all parties must stay any further action in respect of the subject matter. For the avoidance of doubt, all stakeholders including the Oshunbiyi Ruling house, the Iresa-Adu Kingmakers, Surulere Local Government, the Secretary to the Surulere Local Government, should desist from any further actions or omissions that may truncate the processes of the Appellate proceedings or render it’s outcome a nugatory. This is the Law.
“In the same vein, we equally call on the Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, to use his good office to ensure that the rule of law prevails and all parties involved in the matter to stay further actions over the vacant stool of Aresa pending the hearing and determination of the Appeal.”
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