An Osun State High Court sitting in Ikirun has struck out a suit challenging the selection of Oba Muritala Oyelakin as Aree of Iree town in the Boripe local government area of the state.
Justice I. O. Adeleke struck out the case on Tuesday in his ruling on the preliminary objection filed by Oba Muritala Oyelakin.
Counsel to the Aree of Iree had brought a preliminary objection against the suit citing non-disclosure of reasonable cause of action in the plaintiff’s case and failure to join necessary parties.
In his ruling today, Justice Adeleke found merit in the preliminary objection and struck out the case.
Arogidigba Global Journal recalls that in May, an Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo restrained Governor Ademola Adeleke from presenting the Staff of Office to Oba Oyelakin.
The restraining order dated Friday, May 3, followed a motion ex parte filed by Oba Raphael Oluponle in a suit numbered HOS/20/2024 through his counsel, Abdulrahaman Okunade.
In the suit, Oba Oluponle sought an interlocutory order restraining Governor Adeleke from proceeding further in installing Oyelakin as the Aree, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
The immediate past governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola had appointed and installed Oba Raphael Oluponle as an Aree of Iree towards the twilight of his tenure in November 2022.
Governor Ademola Adeleke on assumption of office in November 2022 reversed the appointments of all traditional rulers appointed by Oyetola through an Executive Order.
In January 2024, the state government released a White Paper on the probe into the controversies relating to the emergence of the three royal fathers and called for fresh selection processes to fill the Aree and Owa of Igbajo stools.
It, however, declared the stool of Akinrun vacant, urging all parties to wait for the outcome of the suit pending before a Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State, on the matter.
The fresh selection processes ordered by the state government led to the installation of Oba Ademola Makinde as the new Owa of Igbajo and the appointment of Oba Oyelakin as the new Aree.