Kingship tussle: Osun monarch, family disagree over court judgement

Olugbode family of Ejitunde Ruling House in Ola, Osun State, has cautioned against misinterpretation of the judgement of the State High Court on the case it instituted regarding the Olola of Ola stool, warning against act capable of causing anarchy in the community.

However, Olola of Ola, Oba Johnson Ajiboye, while reacting to Olugbode family on Friday, said the family was free to interpret the court judgement the way it deems.

Oba Ajiboye in a message sent to our correspondent said, “Everything is in their hands, let them interpret the judgement the way they like. What l know for sure is that the judge has pronounced his own judgement, simple!”

It would be recalled that Justice Lawrence Arojo of the State High Court sitting in Ejigbo had on Wednesday held that the Olugbode family is part of the Ejitunde Ruling House in Ola.

Delivering his judgement in the suit HEJ/3/2020 instituted by David Salako, Kola Sangoniran and three others on behalf of Olugbode family of Ejitunde Ruling House of Ola, Justice Arojo, also directed families in the Ejitunde Ruling House to convene a meeting and resolve whatever differences among them.

Defendants in the matter include; Mr. Johnson Ajiboye, Osun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and 19 others.

The presiding judge also said the plaintiffs had been able to prove to the court that Olugbode family was part of Ejitunde Ruling House through evidence laid before the court, and called for dialogue within Ejitunde Ruling House for the amicable resolution of whatever disagreement leading to conflict.

Earlier, while reacting to the judgement on behalf of the plaintiffs in the matter, Mr. Kola Sangoniran, cautioned Oba Ajiboye against parading himself as the Olola of Ola.

Sangoniran, who warned against “misinterpretation of the judgement,” insisted that Justice Arojo, “did not vacate an earlier restraining order against Oba Ajiboye for the monarch to remain as Olola, but only directed the ruling house to go back home to meet preparatory to fresh action on the Olola stool.”

He said, “Any action contrary to the court ruling may cause crisis in the Ola community. The residents of Ola community are peaceful people and we will not want anything that can cause chaos.

“Ejitunde Ruling House remained one despite many families therein, but our concern as a family is the failure to carry us along in the selection process that was eventually restrained by the court.”