Aseyin stool: Case in court, don’t present staff of office, lawyer tells Makinde

A legal practitioner, Abideen Adeniran, on Sunday, warned the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to suspend his planned presentation of staff of office to the new Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Sefiu Oyebola, Adeyeri III, Ajirotutu I.

The PUNCH reports that the state government had, recently, announced officially that the presentation of staff of office and coronation of the new Aseyin, Oba Oyebola, will be held on Thursday, December 14.

The stool became vacant in 2022 after Oba Abdul-Ganiyu Salawudeen, Ajinese Ologunebi 1, joined his ancestors at the age of 62.

Adeniran, however, contended that the Oyo State government, under the leadership of Makinde, should be conscious of the pendency of a suit marked HOI/04/2023 before the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Iseyin, over the contest for the stool of the ancient town.

In a statement in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, Adeniran, who is the counsel for Prince Abdulganiyu Bolanle, warned the government to stay action on its plan to present staff of office to Oba Oyebola.

He said, “As Your Excellency knows very well, whenever an injunction has been applied for and the same is pending before a court of competent jurisdiction, it is apposite for all concerned not to do anything that will affect the subject matter of the injunction until the motion for an injunction has been heard and determined by the High Court even if no order of injunction has been made.

“I humbly refer you to the case of Governor of Lagos State vs Emeka Ojukwu (1986) 1 NWLR (Pt.18) 621/636H where the Supreme Court stated the law as follows: After a defendant has been notified of the pendency of a suit seeking an injunction against him, even though a temporary injunction may not be granted, he acts at his peril and subject to the power of the court to restore the status wholly irrespective of the merits as may be ultimately decided.

“In view of the above state of the law, Your Excellency is hereby respectfully enjoined not to do anything to fill the vacancy now existing in the Aseyin of Iseyin chieftaincy until the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction now pending before the Iseyin High Court has been heard and determined by the court.”

(Punch)

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