Chieftancy: Kwara Govt, Kingmakers, In Court Over Oludofian Stool
Shola Aliu, Ilorin
The head of Mafoluku royal family of ldofian in lfelodun local government area of Kwara state, Prince Adebayo Okeowo has dragged the state government and the towns’ kingmakers to court over the selection of new Oludofian of Idofian
The late Oludofian, Alhaji Zubairu Oyesoro aged 94 before his demise spent about 55 years on the throne of his forebears, and was one of the longest serving monarchs in the town.
Okeowo is challenging the Kwara State government and the town’s Kingmakers before Justice Hammed Gegele of the State High Court sitting in Ilorin that the process that produced the successor of the late Oba Oyesoro was wrong.
Okeowo in the suit filed by Barr. Mohammed Adeniyi on behalf of Mafoluku Royal House, Idofian said that the decision of the Kingmakers, Ifelodun local government and the state government not to considering a candidate from Mafoluku Royal family was considered an anomaly which would not stand.
Joined in the suit as co-defendants are Chief Abdul-Rahim Odofin, head of Idofian Kingmakers and Oludofian in Council, Ifelodun local government Traditional Council headed by the Elese of Igbaja, Oba Abdulraheem Arepo, Chairman of Ifelodun local government, Prince Jamiu Adedamola, Oludofian-elect and the state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
He prayed the Court to declare that the purported election of Prince Adedamola as the Oludofian-elect by the Kingmakers headed by Odofin without considering the candidature of one Prince Sulaiman Oyewole who was the candidate of the family was wrong, illegal, abuse of privilege and against the tradition of the people of Idofian.
According to the suit, the candidature of Sulaiman Oyewole who was the choice of Mafoluku Royal House was not considered by the defendants even after complying with the established procedure for the stool.
He also prayed the Court to compel Chief Odofin who is the head of the Kingmakers to abide by the history and traditions of the people on ascension to the the throne that it is the turn of Mafoluku Royal House to ascend the throne which no other family in the town is so entitled.
Okeowo also prayed the Court to make an order nullifying the entire process that led to the selection of Adedamola as the Oludofian elect as he noted that the process was characterised with bias, disenfranchisation and lack of recourse to the history and tradition of Idofian people.
He also prayed for an order of the Court directing the Ifelodun Traditional Council and the local government as well as the state government not to accept the nomination of Adedamola as the Oludofian-elect.
