Osun considers appeal as court reinstates Oba Famoodun as monarch

Justice A. Ayoola of an Osun State High Court sitting in Ile-Ife on Thursday voided the removal of Oba Adegboyega Famoodun as Owa of Igbajo by the Osun State Government.

Oba Famoodun had been removed by the state government following the implementation of the resolutions contained in the White Paper issued by the panel that probed the events preceding his appointment as a royal father.

Famoodun, who until then was the chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Osun, was appointed by the outgoing administration of Mr Adegboyega Oyetola in November 2022.

Justice Ayoola, who granted all the reliefs sought by the claimant in his two-hour judgment, nullified the process leading to Famoodun’s removal.

Specifically, the judge voided the White Paper relied upon by the state government in making its decision regarding the Owa of Igbajo stool, insisting that, in the eyes of the law, Famoodun remains the monarch of the Igbajo community.

Reacting to the judgment, Muhydeen Adeoye, a member of the claimant’s legal team, said, “The purport of the judgment is that all the reliefs we sought were granted. The reliefs include the nullification of Oba Famoodun’s removal.

“The claimant was purportedly removed, and we approached the court seeking redress, arguing that he had already been installed and that laws regulating chieftaincy matters must be followed. To God be the glory, the court upheld our prayers and granted all the reliefs we sought.”

The claimant, in suit number HOS/01/2024, had taken the state governor, Ademola Adeleke, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, and six others before the court, urging it to void his removal.

When contacted for a reaction, Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Kolapo Alimi, said he had not yet seen the details of the judgment but noted that the White Paper voided by the Ile-Ife High Court had previously been upheld by another High Court judge handling a similar matter.

Alimi, who stated that the respondents have the right to appeal the decision, hinted that the State Ministry of Justice would decide on the next steps for the government.

He said, “The High Court is a court of first instance, so there is a right of appeal. There are two more layers to which the matter can be escalated. At the appropriate time, the State Ministry of Justice will advise on the next steps to take.”