The High Court sitting in Osogbo has refused the prayer of the Osun State Government to vacate the retaining order preventing the state Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke to from issuing certificate, instruments and staff of office to one Prince Muritala Oyelakin as the Aree of Iree.
The state government, Prince Muritala and 7 others through their counsels Kayode Titilaoye, Director of Legal Reform in the state ministry of justice and Dr D A Ariyoosu had approached the court to vacate the restraining order granted Oba Raphael Oluponle which stopped the official presentation of Staff of Office to Prince Muritala on May 3, 2024 and to also refuse the interlocutory injunction sought by Oba Raphael to restrain Governor Adeleke from taking any further step on Aree stool pending the determination of the subtansive matter before the court.
At the hearing on Tuesday, counsel to Oba Oluponle, Dr Muritala Abdurasheed SAN, informed the court that the subtansive matter is already before the court and parties have been served accordingly. He urged the court to grant the interlocutory injunction argueing that taking further step on matter before the court is not only contemptuous to the judiciary but injurious to Oba Oluponle.
The presiding Judge, Justice M.O Awe in his rulling refused the application of the state government and Prince Muritala and granted interlocutory injunction sought by Oba Oluponle and retrained Governor Adeleke from issuing certificate, instruments and staff of office to one Prince Muritala as the Aree of Iree pending the determination of the subtansive matter before the court.
The order reads in part ” it is my view that the complainant application for interlocutory injunction ought to succeed. Accordingly, the application succeed and it is hereby ORDERED AS PRAYED. Specifically, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants/respondents are hereby restrained from Installing the 9th defendant and respondent as Aree of Iree and / or present a Staff of Office to said 9th defendant /respondent pending the hearing and the determination of the subtansive suit that is the originating summon of the claimant pending before the court. Parties are to bear their cost.”
It would be recalled that the court on Friday, May 3rd 2024 stopped Governor Adeleke from presenting staff of office to Prince Muritala Oyelakin at an event already scheduled to hold on Saturday, May 4, 2024 in Iree after all the preperations have been concluded for the ceremony.
The state government through the Commissioner for Information and Civic Engagement Barr Kolapo Alimi in a statement on Saturday May, 4 said the Governor has obeyed the court order and suspended the ceremony till further notice and directed the government legal team to approach the court to vacate the interim order.
Oba Oluponnle was appointed by the former Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s administration and presented with the Certificate and Staff of Office, but Governor Adeleke later issued an Executive Order that he should vacate the palace, without recourse to the fact that a case was still pending in court on the matter as at the time.
The government subsequently issued a White Paper nullifying the appointment of Oba Oluponnle and ordered that the case which was instituted against his appointment should be withdrawn before the commencement of a new process.
In violation of its said White Paper, the government subsequently instituted a fresh process of installing a new Aree without withdrawing the suit as spelt out in the said white paper, and the process produce one Prince Muritala Oyelakin.
Oba Oluponle however approached the state high court to nullify the said white paper and ban Prince Muritala from parading himself as Aree of Iree.
The case has been adjourned till May 24 for the hearing of the subtansive matter.