Court Upholds Selection Of New Aree Of Iree, Oba Oyelakin

An Osun State High Court, sitting in Ikirun, has struck out a suit challenging the selection of Oba Muritala Oyelakin, as the Aree of Iree, a town in the Boripe local government area of the state.

Justice Isiaka Adeleke struck out the case on Tuesday in his ruling on the preliminary objection filed by Oba Oyelakin.

Counsel to the monarch had brought a preliminary objection against the suit, citing non-disclosure of reasonable cause of action in the plaintiff’s case and failure to join necessary parties.

In his ruling, Justice Adeleke found merit in the preliminary objection and struck out the case.

It would be recalled that an Osun State High Court, sitting in Osogbo, had restrained Governor Ademola Adeleke from presenting the Staff of Office to Oba Oyelakin in May this year.

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The restraining order dated Friday, May 3, followed a motion ex parte filed by the dethroned Oba Raphael Oluponle in a suit numbered HOS/20/2024.

In the suit, Oluponle sought an interlocutory order restraining Adeleke from proceeding further in installing Oyelakin as the Aree, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

The immediate past governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola had appointed and installed Oba Raphael Oluponle as Aree of Iree towards the twilight of his tenure in November 2022.

Adeleke had reversed the appointments of some traditional rulers appointed by the former governor in controversial manner through an Executive Order.

In January 2024, the state government released a White Paper which nullified the appointment of Oba Oluponle as the Aree, and ordered a fresh selection process. 

The fresh selection processes led to the appointment and installation of Oba Oyelakin as the new Aree.