Lekan Balogun and other individuals of the Olubadan Board who were delegated Obas in 2017 have composed to their legal counselor, Kunle Sobaloju, to pull back their case challenging a assent judgment on their rise from tall chiefs to Obaship status.
This was contained in a letter dated January 30 with names and titles of the influenced tall chiefs recorded as clients.
A duplicate of the letter gotten by our journalist was titled, ‘Re: Oba Congressperson Lekan Balogun & others vs Representative of Oyo State and others’.
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In the letter, the kingmakers educating their attorney to “discontinue and withdraw” the case with prompt effect.
Part of the letter examined, “We are your client within the over suit No: 1/22/2020/. After cautious and meticulous thought of the waiting emergency trailing the progression of the position of authority of our unused Olubadan of Ibadan arrive, we settled as follows:
“That the peace of Ibadan arrive is fundamental in our hearts and as such no give up is as well much to be made to attain the same.
“That we as kingmakers and members of Olubadan-in-Council have decided to withdraw our above-mentioned suit in High Court of Justice of Oyo State, Ibadan with immediate effect.
“That future reforms or reviews to the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration of 1957 should be kept in view, for now, to be addressed during the tenure of our new Olubadan of Ibadan.
“In view of the above, we as your clients are now instructing you to discontinue the above suit and withdraw same forthwith from the court of law of Oyo State and file a notice of withdrawal in court latest February 1, 2022, without failure.”
Controversies had surrounded the nomination, appointment, approval, and announcement of Oba Lekan Balogun, who is the next in line to the throne, as the new Olubadan.
In a bid for Lekan to be appointed, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, asked the kingmakers to discontinue the case.
The High Chiefs – promoted Obas – are in court to challenge the consent judgment which set aside the gazette that recognised them as Obas.
Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja, had sued former Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the inquiry commission that recommended the high chiefs for crowning the high chiefs, arguing that they violated the 1957 Ibadan Chieftaincy Declaration.
Ladoja won at the state High Court as Justice Olajumoke Aiki set aside the gazette as well as the decisions made based on it.
But dissatisfied with the judgment, Ajimobi appealed.
The Appellate Court, in its decision, set aside Aiki’s decision on technical grounds and directed a retrial of the case.
Makinde, who inherited the case, called for an out-of-court settlement and a return to the status quo.
The terms of the settlement were entered as consent judgment by the court, putting a closure on the matter.
But Balogun and others later expressed displeasure and filed a fresh suit against the judgment.
It was learnt a new Olubadan should have been named after Oba Saliu Adetunji passed away on January 2, 2022.
Enoch Oyedibu
Brazen Investigative Journalist with a deep interest for tracking the grassroots impacts of government procurement.
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