No Right To Alade Throne — Court Tells Akinnadeju, Orilelu Families

An attempt by the Akinnadeju and Orilelu families of Alade Idanre to contest for the kingship of the town has been thwarted by an Ondo State High Court.

The court ruled that the two families cannot present candidates to be nominated, presented or appointed to fill the vacant stool of Aladeokun of Alade-Idanre in Idanre Local Government.

It said the families of Akinnadeju and Orilelu were not recognised as being part of the Lagokun Ruling House in the community as contained in the 1989 White Paper on Ajakaiye Chieftaincy Review Commission.

Justice O. M. Adejumo gave the judgment in a suit filed by some princes of Alade-Idanre, which sought to stop the kingmakers from nominating, presenting or appointing any member of Akinnadeju family from filling the vacant stool of Aladeokun Alade Idanre.

The judge held that the Akinnadeju family could not be appointed as king even if the declaration contained in the White Paper was registered.

Justice Adejumo ruled that the White Paper only recognised the families of Akinboro and Akinbola as the Lagokun Ruling House in the community.

She, however, said both the Akinboro and Akinbola families could not nominate or present candidate to be appointed king until the Chieftaincy Declaration for Olu Alade Chieftaincy as contained in the White Paper is registered.

“Since the Chieftaincy Declaration approved in the White Paper on Ajakaiye Chieftaincy Review Commission of June, 1989 was not registered, none of the applicants in this case can be validly nominated, presented and or appointed to fill the vacant stool of Aladeokun of Alade Idanre on the basis of the Chieftaincy Declaration approved in the said White Paper.

“It therefore follows that it is only after the Chieftaincy Declaration has been registered that the family of the Applicants can be nominated, presented and or appointed to fill the vacant stool of Aladeokun of Alade Idanre.”

Ruling on the consent judgment earlier secured by the Akinnadeju and Bajulaye Orilelu families to be included as part of the Lagokun Ruling House, Justice Adejumo said the law barred him from interpreting or examining consent judgment.

The judge said she could not interpret the two consent judgments, saying it does not conform to Ondo State Chief’s law and that it was a judgment delivered by a court of coordinate jurisdiction.

Justice Adejumo further struck out the suit because the applicants failed to disclose a cause of action.

The last king of Alade Idanre, Oba Olusegun Akinbola, died in 2020 and the process to install a new king began when officials of the state government asked the Akinnadeju family to present a candidate to be installed as king.

But some princes in the kingdom and the Akinboro ruling house filed a suit at the court seeking to stop ‘a stranger’ from becoming king.