The Dero Ruling House of Ore, in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, has called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene in the ongoing kingship tussle to prevent a potential crisis.
The family accused the Akintimehin family of attempting to unlawfully claim the vacant Olore of Ore stool despite an existing court judgment.
In a petition addressed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the legal representatives of the Dero family, Tope Temokun Chambers, called for urgent government intervention, warning that the actions of the Akintimehin family could lead to unrest in Ore town.
The petition, signed by Principal Counsel Tope Temokun, accused the Akintimehin family of reckless spreading of misinformation, illegal nominations, and self-appointment despite a February 7, 2020, High Court judgment that declared the stool vacant and affirmed the Dero Ruling House as the rightful successor.
The petition referenced the judgment delivered by Hon. Justice S. Olorundahunsi at the High Court of Ore, which ruled in favour of the Dero Ruling House.
The court held that “it is the turn of the Claimant family i.e. the Dero Ruling House of Ore Odigbo to nominate and present a candidate to fill the stool of Olore of Ore after the demise of Oba Adebayo Temikotan who was from the 1st to 3rd Defendants’ family i.e. Akintimehin Ruling House/Family of Ore/Odigbo.”
The judgment further nullified the appointment of the late Oba Johnson Adeolu Olatomide from the Akintimehin family, ruling that his ascension violated the agreed rotation process among the ruling houses.
In its ruling, the court categorically stated that the Akintimehin Ruling House is not entitled to present or nominate a candidate to fill the vacant stool of Olore of Ore, having already produced the last and late Oba Adebayo Temikotan.
The court ordered that the nomination, selection, and appointment of Oba Johnson Adeolu Olatomide from the Akintimehin family be set aside, as his ascension to the throne contravened the agreed rotational system among the ruling houses.
The judgment also invalidated the chieftaincy declaration of February 28, 1997, which had been purportedly approved and registered in April 1997, stating that it failed to correctly represent the customary law governing the Olore stool and the number of ruling houses in Ore.
Finally, the court issued a consequential order declaring the stool of the Olore of Ore vacant and directing the appropriate authorities to initiate the process of selecting a new candidate on a rotational basis, beginning with the Dero Ruling House.
The petition further alleged that despite losing in court, the Akintimehin family filed an appeal but refused to await its determination before proceeding with fresh nominations.
The legal representatives of the Dero family stated that despite the subsisting court judgment, in 2021, the Akintimehin family began spreading misinformation and announced the illegal nomination of one Monday Sawoju to fill the vacant stool.
The Ondo State Ministry of Justice, in a letter dated September 13, 2021, had advised that parties maintain the status quo pending the resolution of the appeal. Similarly, the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, on October 5, 2021, directed all parties to maintain the status quo pending the appeal’s determination and warned against any violation.
Despite these directives, the petition accused the Akintimehin family of persistent disregard for due process, with fresh reports indicating that they had purportedly presented one Peter Boluwaji Ijiniga for installation as the Olore of Ore, against a subsisting court ruling.
The Dero Ruling House expressed concern that the Ondo State Government had failed to take decisive action against the Akintimehin family’s illegal activities, thereby allowing tension to mount in Ore town.
The petition questioned why the Akintimehin family, having lost at the High Court and filed an appeal, would proceed with illegal nominations instead of awaiting the court’s final verdict, stating: “If there should be anyone here to be eager to come forward for the stool, it should be the Dero family. Why now the Akintimehin family? Does this mean they don’t have faith in the court process, the appeal process they initiated?”
Citing the Ondo State Chiefs Law, the legal representatives of the Dero family reminded the government that illegal nominations and self-proclaimed installations of traditional rulers constitute a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment.
Section 15, Subsection 1 of the Chiefs Law of Ondo State states that “where a vacancy has occurred in a recognised chieftaincy and no person has been approved as successor thereto by the Executive Council, any person who installs or purports to install a person as such chief or any person who holds himself out as such chief or presents himself to be installed as such chief commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for three years.”
The petition urged Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to sanction the Akintimehin family for defying both judicial orders and state laws. It further called on the state government to rise to the occasion and arrest the growing trend of illegality where families attempt to bypass due process by making self-proclaimed nominations and announcements while a case is still in court. The Dero family warned that failure to act swiftly could lead to a breakdown of law and order in Ore town.
The petition was copied to the Ondo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, as well as the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, urging them to intervene and ensure that the government upholds the rule of law in the selection process for the next Olore of Ore.
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