The controversy surrounding the Olubadan Chieftaincy declaration took another dimension on Tuesday as Justice M.I Sule of Oyo State High Court transferred to the Chief Judge, a suit filed by the Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland and former governor of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, against the review of the chieftaincy declaration.
The judge at the resumed hearing of the matter said in a ruling that she would not want to start a case she would not be able to finish before the court proceeds on vacation on September 12.
She said she had two rulings pending before her that she must dispense with before proceeding on vacation, adding that the Chief Judge would know what to do with the matter.
She will be the second Judge to handle the matter which was earlier assigned to Justice Diran Akintola, who allegedly refused to hear an ex parte application meant to stop the panel from sitting, prompting Ladoja to petition the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen.
Following the intervention of the CJN, the case was re-assigned to Justice Sule before the parties in the matter appeared on August 21st for the hearing of a contempt charge against Governor Ajimobi and Justice Akintunde Boade who chaired the panel.
Counsel to Ladoja, Chief Michael Lana at the resumed hearing of the matter had accused the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General Oluwaseun Abimbola of working to frustrate the matter by refusing to file the necessary processes timeously so as to allow time for the process of installing the new obas to be concluded.
Lana reminded told the court that the defendant had gone ahead to issue letters of appointment to the 21 obas and “purportedly held a coronation ceremony which was heavily advertised and shown live on television”.
He said all the actions the governor had taken on the matter constituted acts of contempt which the court had condemned in several instances, submitting that such must not be allowed to go unpunished.
He had earlier requested the Judge to stand down the matter for 30 minutes to enable him file a response to the preliminary objection filed and served on Tuesday by the Attorney General.
Abimbola while reacting to the allegations of using delay, argues that an amendment of the reliefs being sought by the claimant which, he said, structurally affected the originating summons informed the delay in filing some processes.
Abimbola, however, said that the contempt application filed by Ladoja’s counsel was based on sentiment, advising the claimant’s counsel not to give the impression that the state High Court was winding down because of annual vacation.
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