Plan for coronation of new Soun of Ogbomoso illegal, contemptuous of court

A senior Nigerian lawyer has faulted the decision of the Oyo State government to inaugurate Ghandi Olaoye as the new Soun of Ogbomoso, despite an order of the state high court voiding Mr Olaoye’s appointment to the throne.

Kola Alapinni, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES on Friday after the state government announced the schedule for the ceremony, warned that it may also lead to ridicule for the new traditional ruler should the higher courts later affirm his removal from the throne.

The state government had on Thursday said it would conduct the ceremonies for the inauguration of the new Soun in Ogbomoso on 19 December.

Although the state high court on Monday granted a stay of execution of its judgement voiding Mr Olaoye’s appointment and barring him from parading himself as the Soun, after an appeal by the state government and Mr Olaoye of its judgement of 25 October, the court had also ordered all the parties to maintain the status quo until the matter is determined in court.

However, the state Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, on Thursday, announced the schedules for the presentation of staffs of office and coronation of the new Soun and another first class traditional ruler in the state, the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Sefiu Oyebola,

According to the commissioner, the coronation of the Aseyin will be held on December 14, while that of the Soun will follow five days later.

He said, “The government has set up a coronation committee headed by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Segun Ogunwuyi, including the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Segun Olayiwola; Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Wasiu Olatunbosun; Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Dotun Oyelade and the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Security, Retired Commissioner of Police, Sunday Odukoya as members of the committee.

“The committee has been holding meetings with coronation committees from the two palaces over the past few weeks and has undertaken inspections of the venues for the events. All is now set for the big events. The government, hereby, seizes this opportunity to enjoin members of the public to show full support for the success of the events,” the statement added.

Asked for his view on the development, Mr Alapinni said: “I think the Oyo State Government is not setting a good example. The government is not above the law,” .

“The court judgement states that parties must maintain the status quo ante bellum, especially when the matter has gone on appeal. Therefore, going ahead with the coronation of Mr Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye to my mind is an illegal act and it is contemptuous.

“If the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court rules against the state government, the government would have to take responsibility for setting up the candidate for failure and would have brought the stool of the Soun of Ogbomoso into disrepute.We all saw the situation where the Supreme Court ruled against the Eleruwa of Eruwa after sitting on the stool for 16 years. The poor man has fled into exile. The shame and opprobrium he faces is so unbearable, he couldn’t stay in Eruwa any longer.

“The government is trying to create confusion by relying on an earlier judgement which the court has overruled itself by saying it was delivered per incuriam. It means, it was delivered without being aware of some facts.

“Assuming without conceding that the government wants clarity between the two judgments and has now appealed, the rightful thing for the government to do is to follow the due process and the rule of law by waiting for a decision of the Court of Appeal. In this case, the government has resorted to self-help and taken the law into its hands. It is an exercise in futility,” the senior lawyer said.

The stool of the Soun became vacant with the death of long-reigning Oba Jimoh Oyewumi on 12th December, 2021 at the age of 95 years. Mr Oyewunmi
was on the throne for 48 years.

After a controversial selection process that had become the subject of a court case, Governor Seyi Makinde on 2nd September approved the appointment
of Mr Olaoye, a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, as the new Soun.

The Chairman of the Screening Committee for the Laoye ruling house in Ogbomoso, Abdulwahab Laoye, had earlier disowned Mr Olaoye, saying the family had not selected anybody to fill the vacant stool.

Speaking with a newspaper, he said: “We did not select Ghandi and he is not among the 11 that the screening committee selected from 23 applicants. We do not want the matter to degenerate to the level of litigation. We scheduled a meeting on February 23 and invited the council to observe, but the council hijacked the process from us and added another seven persons on the claims that the seven persons equally obtained the Expression of Interest form, thereby raising the number of the applicants to 18.”

READ ALSO: Soun of Ogbomoso: Olaoye’s name not smuggled into aspirants’ list – Family Head

However, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Olusegun Olayiwola, insusted the announcement followed the long-drawn processes specified under the law.

The stool of the Alaafin of Oyo has also been vacant since the death of Oba Lamidi Adeyemi died last year. The Oyo Mesi, the traditional kingmakers of the ancient Yoruba kingdom, had selected Lukman Gbadegesin as the new Alaafin, but his selection has been rejected by the state government.