Court Orders Further Addresses On Elevation Of Ibadan Chiefs

JUSTICE Munta Abimbola, yesterday, ordered parties in the suit filed by Senator Lekan Balogun and seven others to file further written addresses streamlining their arguments.

The eight were contesting the validity of a consent judgment given by a state high court on November 19, 2019 in suit M/ 317/ 2017, as part of efforts to resolve the crisis trailing the elevation of some chiefs in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Balogun’s suit against Oyo State governor and five others is asking the court to determine whether the terms of settlement of consent judgment between Chief Rashidi Ladoja and the governor of on November 19, 2019, did not prejudice and negatively affect their interests.

Though the case was originally scheduled for ruling, Justice Abimbola stated that there were ambiguities in the many processes filed in the suit delineated I/ 22/ 2020, necessitating further clarification in terms of address.

He explained that the claims and counter- claims by parties in the matter are about 3,446 pages since November 1, 2021, when the case came before the court for a determination on the validity of the consent judgment.

Abimbola, who is the Chief Judge of Oyo, cautioned all counsel to ensure that their addresses were within the ambit of the law.

He decried the situation where lawyers analyse the facts of a case before the court in public places, especially the social media.

The chiefs further asked the court to determine whether the terms of settlement and consequent judgment in respect of vested legal interests had not been fraudulently and prejudicially stripped them of their rights to wear beaded crowns and coronet titles.