Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
After a long legal battle, the Court of Appeal in Akure has upheld a 2023 High Court judgment that removed the late Oba Babajide Lawrence Oluwole as the traditional ruler of the ancient Oke-Igbo town in Ondo State. The appellate court ruled that his appointment in 2018 violated the community’s established customary laws, which clearly define the royal families eligible to nominate candidates for the throne.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice M.L. Hassan, with Justices P.O. Affen and P.C. Obiorah concurring, the three-member panel dismissed the appeal filed by the deposed monarch for lacking in merit. The court held that the arguments of the respondents were valid and that the appeal lacked sufficient merit to overturn the findings of the Ondo State High Court. The appellate court's decision effectively ended a fierce legal battle over the throne of the ancient town, which began just years after the government approved the monarch's appointment. This ruling emphasized the sanctity of local customs and traditions in the selection of royal leaders, even when weighed against governmental appointments.
The dispute over the traditional stool dates back to 2018, when the Ondo State Government approved the appointment of Oba Oluwole as the Olu-Oke of Oke-Igbo. He was chosen to succeed the late Oba Timothy Fasawe. However, his emergence was immediately challenged by members of the Aare Kugbaigbe Ruling House, the family legally entitled to produce a candidate for the throne. Represented by their counsel, Chief Sola Ebiseni, the claimants argued that the new monarch did not belong to the Aare Kugbaigbe lineage, which is recognized by local custom as the only source of legitimate rulers.
The claimants also took issue with the novel “Traditional Ruling Quarter” system that was used for the appointment. They argued that this system, which attempted to widen the eligibility pool to several indeterminate families, was alien to the long-established customs of Oke-Igbo. According to the community's tradition, only five ruling houses, descended from the five founders of the town, are entitled to produce the Olu-Oke. Notably, the Aare Kugbaigbe house is one of these. They contended that Oba Oluwole, who hails from the Bamgbala Family, is not a member of the Aare Kugbaigbe Ruling House and was not nominated by it, as required by law. This argument formed the bedrock of their legal challenge.
On April 13, 2023, Justice Ademola Enikuomehin of the Ondo State High Court upheld the case of the claimants. In a decisive judgment, he declared that the monarch’s appointment was illegal and ordered his immediate removal as the Olu-Oke of Oke-Igbo. The court agreed that Oba Oluwole was not a member of the recognized ruling house responsible for presenting a candidate for the throne. The judgment nullified his coronation and brought his short-lived reign to an abrupt end.
Unsatisfied with the ruling, the embattled monarch, through his lead counsel, Chief Olalekan Ojo (SAN), appealed the decision. He filed a Notice of Appeal on April 17, 2023, which was later amended on May 30, 2025, raising a total of 12 grounds for appeal. The deposed monarch argued that the Executive Council’s decision had rendered the previous customary law contained in the White Paper on the Justice Adeloye Commission of Inquiry obsolete. He also contended that the High Court’s judgment was invalid because it was delivered outside the constitutionally prescribed time frame of three months. Despite these legal arguments, the appellate court found no substance in his claims and dismissed the entire appeal.
It is a tragic footnote to the case that Oba Oluwole passed away at the age of 92, before the higher court could deliver its final judgment on his appeal.
Following the legal victory for the family, the Ondo State Government has wasted no time in ensuring the royal stool is filled. They have approved the appointment of Oba Akintoye Felix Adeoye as the new Olu-Oke of Oke-Igbo. The new monarch is a lawyer and a former president of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN). Significantly, he is a member of the Aare Kugbaigbe Ruling House, thereby satisfying the core condition of the community's customary law. He is set to be crowned as the new traditional ruler, bringing a sense of closure to the prolonged chieftaincy saga.
Speaking to newsmen after the judgment, the lead counsel to the new monarch, Chief Sola Ebiseni, hailed the court's decision. He declared that the ruling was a reaffirmation of the customary law of the Olu-Oke of Oke-Igbo chieftaincy, as earlier established by Justice Enikuomehin. He expressed an optimistic view that the decision would bring peace and unity to the ancient town, allowing it to move forward under its legitimate traditional ruler. The judgment from the Court of Appeal puts an end to a protracted leadership vacuum and provides a clear legal precedent for the adjudication of chieftaincy disputes in the state.
This case has broader implications for the rule of law and traditional institutions in Nigeria. It demonstrates that governmental approval for a traditional appointment is not absolute; it can be nullified by the courts if it is not grounded in the native law and custom of the community. The ruling reinforces the legal requirement that any person selected as a traditional ruler must come from the recognized ruling house entitling them to the throne. This principle is vital for preventing future disputes and ensuring that the traditions of Nigeria's diverse communities are respected.
As the town of Oke-Igbo prepares to crown its new king, the lengthy legal battle serves as a powerful reminder of the delicate balance between modern governance and the preservation of a people's ancient heritage. For the community, the ruling is not just about the defeat of one individual, but the triumph of their customs, providing a clear path forward for their leadership succession.
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