After twenty-one years on the throne, the Supreme Court, on Friday, declared vacant the stool of a popular Oyo monarch, the Eleruwa of Eruwa, currently being occupied by Oba Samuel Adegbola.
WITHIN NIGERIA recalls that the monarch, had earlier been dethroned by an Oyo State High Court on January 26, 2011, but approached the appellate court for an order to quash the verdict.
But giving the verdict on the matter in 2011, Justice Ladipo Abimbola of the appellate court affirmed that the processes that brought the monarch to the throne were irregular.
Hence, he declare them null and void; thereby ordering that Oba Adegbola should vacate the seat.
But dissatisfied with the judgement, the monarch filed an appeal, which was also dismissed and later approached the Supreme Court which has now put an end to the legal tussle.
The sacked monarch was installed the Eleruwa in 1998 by the Oyo State Government amidst protracted protests by members of the rightful ruling house after the last Eleruwa, the late Oba Bolanle Olaniyan, who is from the Akalako ruling house, passed on , on May 1, 1994. Although his nomination and selection by the kingmakers were challenged by the Laribikusi house, which argued that he was not a member of the ruling arm, but belonged to Akalako where the previous king emerged, the state government went ahead to inaugurate him, prompting the present tussle.
