Ondo court suspends Ore regency pending substantive case
By Boye Oyeyemi
The Ondo State High Court sitting in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area, has restrained High Chief Akindele Aladenika from presenting himself as the regent of Ore pending the determination of a substantive suit over the community’s traditional stool.
Justice Ade Adegoroye, in a ruling delivered in Ore, also directed the Ondo State Government and its agencies to stop recognising Aladenika as regent until the legal dispute is concluded.
The Olore of Ore stool became vacant following the death of Oba Johnson Olatomide in 2020. Although the state government reportedly approved Aladenika’s appointment as regent, the decision was opposed by members of the Olore-in-Council, who insisted that a substantive monarch should be installed instead.
The claimants, High Chief Monday Sawoju, High Chief Mrs Esther, Chief Tope Ijiniga and Chief Fakeye Sawoju, subsequently approached the court, seeking an interlocutory injunction to prevent the government and security agencies from recognising Aladenika as regent.
The suit listed the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Amidu Takuro, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Olukayode Ajulo, the Chairman of Odigbo Local Government, Taipei Adegoroye, and David Ijiniga as defendants.
The claimants also asked the court to nullify the processes leading to Aladenika’s appointment pending the resolution of an earlier case on the regency.
In his ruling, Justice Adegoroye held that there was already a subsisting court order relating to the previous regency, adding that installing another regent while the matter remained before the court could amount to contempt and interfere with the judicial process.
“The matter is sub judice, and the issue before the court is the regency of Ore. Installing another regent while the earlier case is pending is an affront to the court and could amount to contempt,” the judge said.
The court consequently restrained the first to fourth defendants, as well as all law enforcement agencies, from recognising Aladenika as regent of Ore and also barred him from parading himself in that capacity until the substantive suit is finally determined.
