Appeal Court Sacks Ondo Monarch

By Niyi Olutunde, Akure

The Akure division of the Court of Appeal has ordered the Akinnuwa of
Igbindo in Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba John Ogundoju to vacate the throne.

The court also directed the kingmakers in the town to commence the process of selecting a new traditional ruler in accordance with the
tradition of the town.

In an unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Danjuma, the
court ordered Ogundoju to stop parading himself as the traditional
ruler of the town henceforth.

It would be recalled that an Ondo State High Court sitting in Ondo had in 2015 sacked Oba Ogundoju on the ground that he was not the right candidate for the stool, in which Ogundoju and some members of his ruling house appealed against the judgment of the High Court.

The plaintiffs in their defense then, sought the court declaration
that by “the age long custom and tradition of the ascension to the
stool of Akinnuwa of Igbindo land which stipulates that it is only
those from the male line of the applicable ruling house that can
ascend the throne prevail.”

Also, they claimed that based on the White Paper of the Olayiwola Chieftaincy review commission of 1982, it is the turn of Ogbowo Okun ruling house to produce the next traditional ruler for the town.

Consequently, the plaintiffs prayed for an order of “injunction restraining Ogundoju from imposing himself on Ogbowo Ruling House as the Akinnuwa of Igbindo.”

Justice Mohammed Danjuma who read the judgment on behalf of other
members of the panel upheld the earlier judgment of the high court.

He said “On the basis of the facts and evidence adduced by parties in the case and the authorities cited, it is my finding that the decision of the trial court on this issue was in order. It is resolved against the appellants and in favour of respondents.”

“Having resolved all the three issues raised herein against the appellants, the result is that the appeal lacks merit and it is accordingly dismissed. The judgement of the high court of Ondo State delivered by Hon. Justice O.A Adegbehingbe on the 28th of July 2015 is hereby upheld,” he declared