Saliu A. O Adetunji: The Olubadan of Ibadan

Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan

The baale of Olode town in Oluyole Local Government Area of Ibadan in Oyo State, Chief Lukman IIufemiloye Alao has sued Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, Aje ogungunniso 1 for deposing him.

In his suit, Chief Alao is equally asking the court to award him N2m general damages against the monarch for the pain, embarrassment, and degradation suffered over his unlawful removal from the throne.
The deposed baale, in a motion on notice filed by his counsel, Mr. Saani Oyedele, also joined the Olubadan-in-council, Oluyole Local government, and his acclaimed successor, Mr. Dauda Odeyemi as co-defendants in the suit.

Chief Alao claimed that the meeting held on the 9th January 2017 was not properly constituted and that it breached all principles of fair hearing as he was not given any petition written against him nor was he heard by the Olubadan-in-council ‎before the decision to remove him and install a new baale was taken

He also prayed the court to declare ‎the January 7, 2017 meeting as ‘ultra vires’ as he was not given the opportunity to defend himself on any allegation made against him.

Besides, he also claimed that the new baale of Olode‎ was not qualified to occupy the position as he was not a member of the Olode chieftaincy family.

He stated that his purported deposition was unlawful, null and void as he claimed that the stool of Olode was not vacant and he still remained the baale of Olode adding, “To pray the court to grant a perpetual injunction restraining Odeyemi from parading himself as the baale ‎of Olode”.

In his statement of claim, Chief Alao who was installed the baale on December 3rd, 2007, averred that the chieftaincy stool had been rotated from time in memorial between the families of Odegbero and‎ Aborisade.

He further claimed that the father of the new baale, the late Chief Olayiwola Odeyemi Ejo, who was his immediate predecessor, was removed in 2007 ‎because he is not from any of the entire chieftaincy families.

He said Odeyemi was from a small village called ‎Ejo which was about 10kms away from Olode town.

However, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.

It would be recalled that Chief Alao’s removal which took effect from Monday January 9, 2017, was announced yesterday in a press release signed by the Director, Media and Public Affairs to Olubadan, Mr. Adeola Oloko, with the swearing-in of the new bale immediately.
According to the statement, the Olubadan-in-Council did not give any reason for sacking the embattled bale.