Five years after ascending the throne, court sacks Ondo monarch for not being qualified

An Ondo state high court, sitting in Ondo town, has deposed Oba Babajide Lawrence Oluwole as the Olu-Oke of Oke-Igbo in the Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo LGA of the state.

The court nullified the appointment of the monarch, having admitted that Oba Oluwole, who was crowned as the monarch of the community in 2018, was not a member of the ruling house which turn was, to fill the then-vacant stool of the town.

Two princes from the Aare Kugbaigbe Ruling House, Rufus Adekanye and Temitope Adeoye, Head and Secretary of the House respectively, had challenged the enthronement of a monarch by the Ondo state government.

In the suit filed by their lawyer, Mr Sola Ebiseni, the claimants said that the defendant was not a member of the Aare Kugbaigbe Ruling House which turn was to present a candidate to the throne, saying the stool is still vacant.

Delivering his verdict, Justice Ademola Enikuemehin, admitted that Oluwole was not a member of the ruling house which turn was to produce the king and also not qualified to be presented as the kingship candidate.

“The fifth defendant (Oba Oluwole), not being a descendant of the Aare Kugbaigbe is not a member of the Aare Kugbaigbe Ruling House and therefore not qualified under the declaration to be proposed as a candidate for the vacant stool of or be made the Olu-Oke of Oke-Igbo,” the judge ruled.

The court equally gave an injunction restraining “the fifth defendant from or further parading himself or allowing himself to be paraded as or accorded the rights and privileges pertaining to the person, title and office of the Olu-Oke of Oke-Igbo.”