From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
hearing of a litigation instituted by the Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland and former governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, against the review of Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration was stalled, yesterday.
The judge in charge of the case, Justice M. I. Sule, of the state’s High Court transferred it to the Chief Judge, Justice Muntar Abimbola, for re-assignment.
Justice Sule said he would not be able to finish with the suit before the court proceeds on vacation, on September 12.
The judge, who noted at the resumed hearing that the chief judge would know what to do with the case, revealed that two cases before her were due for determination and she must deliver judgments on the two suits before the commencement of the vacation.
But, lead counsel to Ladoja, Michael Lana, told the court that Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Oluwaseun Abimbola, allegedly caused delay in the hearing of the suit by not filing necessary processes in time to allow time for the conclusion of the process of installing new kings in Ibadanland, consequent on the review.
He told the court that Oyo State Government had issued letters of appointment to 21 new obas and purportedly held a coronation ceremony which “was advertised and shown live on television.”
The governor’s action, according to him, constituted contempt of court.
Abimbola, in his reaction, contended that the delay in filing some processes was caused by an amendment of the reliefs sought by the claimant, which structurally affected the originating summons, adding that the contempt application filed by Ladoja’s lawyer was based on sentiment.
The case was assigned to Sule after the first trial judge allegedly refused to hear an ex-parte application meant to stop the panel from sitting and accepting memoranda.
Ladoja reportedly petitioned Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen and the outcome of the petition led to re-assignment of the case to Justice Sule.
The two parties had appeared before Justice Sule on August 21 for the hearing of a contempt charge against Governor Abiola Ajimobi and Justice Akintunde Boade, who chaired the Judicial Commission of Inquiry on the review of Olubadan of Ibadanland Chieftaincy Declaration.