Court Fixes Jan 19 for Judgment in Ladoja’s Case Challenging Olubadan Reform
Ademola Babalola
Judgment in the suit challenging the constitution of a judicial panel of enquiry and subsequent gazette of its outcome by the Oyo State Government by a former Governor, Rashidi Ladoja, has been fixed for January 19, 2018.
Ladoja, a chief - Osi Olubadan and member of the Olubadan-in-council, had approached the court to challenge the reform to the declaration of the 1957 Ibadan chieftaincy system by the state government.
In the suit, the state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and the Chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry that reviewed the 1959 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration, Justice Akintunde Boade, were listed as first and second respondents respectively.
The court adjourned the case for ruling and judgment after the lead counsel to Ladoja, Mr. Michael Lana; counsel to Ajimobi, Mallam Yusuf Alli (SAN); and counsel to Justice Boade, Mr. Seun Abimbola, who is the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, concluded their submissions on the originating summons. Counsel to the claimants and the defendants had argued vehemently on why the court should rule in their favour.
Ladoja, who is a former governor of the state, and Otun Olubadan, Lekan Balogun, had sued the state government over the constitution of the commission by the state government on May 19, 2017.
The claimants prayed the court, in the suit number M/317/2017, to restrain the commission from sitting, accepting any memorandum or in any way taking any step in furtherance of its assignment, pending the determination of motion on notice in respect of the subject. But Balogun later withdrew from the case.
Justice Olajumoke Aiki of State High court on Wednesday fixed January 19, 2018, for judgment.