Court nullifies Gov. Adeleke’s order, reinstates monarch

An Osun State High Court sitting in Ile-Ife on Thursday reinstated Oba Adegboyega Famodun as the Owa of Igbajo and nullified the state government’s revocation of his appointment.

The court overturned the White Paper and Executive Order issued by Governor Ademola Adeleke regarding the chieftaincy title dispute.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Osun State Government had released six White Papers in January 2024, following an investigation into various chieftaincy matters in the state.

One of the White Papers nullified the previous selection process of the Owa of Igbajo, which had led to the emergence of Oba Philip Adegboyega Famodun III.

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Oba Famodun was appointed and installed as the Owa of Igbajo by former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola towards the end of his tenure in 2022.

Upon assuming office on November 27, 2022, Adeleke revoked the appointment and set up a committee to review the matter.

The committee’s findings led to the issuance of an Executive Order that nullified Famodun’s installation and called for a fresh selection process.

However, Oba Famodun challenged the government’s decision in court, arguing that his appointment followed due process and should not be revoked.

In her ruling, Justice A. O. Ayoola declared that the Executive Order and White Paper had no legal standing to annul a validly conducted chieftaincy process.