21 NEW TRADITIONAL RULERS INSTALLED BY GOVERNOR AJIMOBI ARE FAKE, SAYS COURT

Justice Olajumoke Aiki while delivering judgement on Friday held that wearing of beaded crowns is beyond the purview of sections 10, 12 and 25 of the Oyo State Chiefs Law and also ruled that Section 25 of the Chiefs Law could not be treated in isolation to the provisions of Parts Two and Three of the Chiefs Laws which the court said did not give power to the governor to review the Olubadan chieftaincy declaration.

The court also ruled that the law restrains the state government from accepting and implementing the reports of the commission.

However, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, in reaction said that the state will appeal the judgment and restated his earlier position that the review, which culminated in the August 27, 2017 installation of 21 new obas, was an altruistic gesture that was for the overall good of Ibadanland.

“Today’s judgment on the Olubadan Chieftaincy review will be appealed against immediately. Let me reiterate here that the review was an exercise that was well thought out. It is for the development and progress of Ibadan land and the people therein’, he declared.

“We will not relent in our determination to make Ibadan great and the greatness shall come through various ways; one of which was the Olubadan chieftaincy review that was conducted by a judicial commission of inquiry’,Ajimobi said.

‘The truth is that people are normally opposed to change and radical policies that will eventually be beneficial to them, but we shall get there. We will not be deterred or allow retrogressive tendencies to override the progress Oyo State is currently making”, the governor added