Ajimobi Files 11 Grounds of Appeal to Upturn Sack of 21 Obas
Ademola Babalola
Dissatisfied with last Friday’s judgment of Justice Olajumoke Aiki who sacked 21 Obas installed in Ibadan by the State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the latter has filed 11 grounds of appeal before the Appeal Court, seeking to quash the decision of the state high court.
The governor joined his predecessor, Chief Rashidi Ladoja; the Osi Olubadan of Ibadan land; Justice Akintunde Boade and other members of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Olubadan chieftaincy as respondents.
Ajimobi, in a seven-page suit No: M/317/2017 filed on his behalf, before the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Yusuf Ali, claimed that Ladoja who is the first respondent lacked the locus standi to prosecute the case, adding that the suit discloses no reasonable or any cause of action at all, hence “the judge erred by refusing to follow decided authorities of the appellate court cited before him and thereby embarked on clustered justice against the appellant.”
The suit further stated that “the judge erred in law and gravely misdirected himself in holding that the case of the 1st respondent as constituted is not academic, hypothetical, and will serve no useful purpose.”
The governor held that Ibadan chieftaincy is a matter that affects all Ibadan indigenes both within and in the Diaspora and since the 1st respondent did not allege any infringement of his right or denial of any entitlement by the act of the appellant, the case should be dismissed, stressing that, “If at all the 1st respondent has any right, which is denied, he has it in common with millions of Ibadan indigenes and was unable to show special interest to elevate his right to donate locus standi.”
The appeal further stressed that there was no provision in the Oyo State Chiefs Law that takes away the rights of the governor from instituting a commission of inquiry to look into issues on matters on which the House of Assembly could make law.
It therefore faulted the trial judge for resolving that the governor has no power to set up a commission of inquiry on the issue of beaded crown wearing Obas and coronet crown wearing Obas contrary to the provisions of the Chiefs law of Oyo State which donates such powers and authority to the governor.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for authentic Mogajis, Chief Wale Oladoja, in a telephone interview, lauded the governor for appealing the judgment, adding that the governor and the sacked Obas know the consequences of the judgment if they refuse to approach the court.
According to him, “It is a victory for all the sons and daughters of Ibadan land both at home and Diaspora. We praise the governor for the courage to go to court. It is a welcome idea because he knows the consequence of the said court judgment. The sacked Obas also know the consequences too. Reason is that any Oba sacked by a court and eventually losses the crown can no longer live in the same town with a reigning monarch. The right thing for such an Oba to do is to leave the city but we in authentic Mogajis are hopeful that before the appeal is decided, there would be fruitful reconciliation of the matter.”