Court suspends recognition of Ondo regent amid legal battle

The Ondo State High Court sitting in Ore, the headquarters of Odigbo Local Government Area of the state, has restrained High Chief Akindele Aladenika from parading himself as regent of Ore community in the local government area.

In a ruling delivered by Justice Ade Adegoroye, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent on Sunday, the court also barred the state government and its agencies from recognising Aladenika as regent of the community until a substantive suit on the stool was determined.

The stool of the community became vacant following the demise of the Olore of Ore, Oba Johnson Olatomide, who passed away in 2020.

The government was said to have approved the appointment of Aladenika as the regent, but the decision was greeted with rejection by the Olore-in-Council, who asked the government to appoint a substantive monarch, and not a regent for the community.

It was alleged that Aladenika had been parading himself as the traditional ruler of the community, allegedly with the support of the state government.

But four members of the Olore-in-Council, High Chief Monday Sawoju, High Chief Mrs Esther, Chief Tope Ijiniga and Chief Fakeye Sawoju, approached the court, seeking an order of interlocutory injunction to restrain the state government and the security agencies from recognising Aladenika as a regent of Ore community.

Defendants in the suit are the state governor, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the Chairman of Odigbo Local Government and one David Ijiniga.

The plaintiffs also prayed the court to set aside the nomination, approval and the documents and activities that led to the appointment of Aladenika, pending the determination of a similar case in court.

The court held that there was a subsisting injunction on the previous regency of the community which had not been determined, saying the installation of another regent while the matter remained pending in court could amount to contempt and undermine the judicial process.

In the ruling, Justice Adegoroye said, “The position of this case is a bit more precarious. The matter is sub judice, and the bone of contention is the regency of Ore.

“There is a subsisting injunction against the erstwhile regent, who unfortunately has joined his ancestors. It is an affront against the court for another person to be installed in defiance of the injunction, for whatever it is worth, and the fact that the case is still pending before the court. Tinkering with a matter that is sub judice could amount to contempt of court.

“In sum, I hold that this application succeeds in part. The first to fourth defendants/respondents and all law enforcement agencies are hereby restrained from further recognising High Chief Akindele Aladenika as the Regent of Ore pending the final determination of the substantive suit.

“The said High Chief Akindele Aladenika is also restrained from further parading himself as the Regent of Ore pending the final determination of the substantive suit.”