Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo State, vowed on Tuesday to use his official authority to retaliate if the courts did not dismiss several lawsuits brought against Oba Ghandi Olaoye, the newly installed Soun of Ogbomoso.
One of the throne aspirants, Prince Kabir Olaoye, approached the court challenging Oba Olaoye’s emergence and the procedure that brought him to power.
On October 25, an Oyo State High Court in Ogbomoso declared the selection procedure that resulted in Ghandi being named the new Soun to be invalid and directed that a new one be conducted.
The Oyo State Government and the new Soun, however, challenged the judgement and received a stay of execution awaiting the result of the appeal.
While presenting the new Soun with the staff of office at Ogbomoso township stadium on Tuesday, Governor Makinde requested that all cases opposing his emergence be dropped.
According to the governor:
“By now, we should put behind us the issue of litigation. I hope before the end of next week, all the cases pending at various courts on the enthronement of Soun of Ogbomosoland will be withdrawn,
“However, if the litigants fail to heed the calls, I will not hesitate to use the instrument of office to fight back. I pray that the scenario that played out in one of the communities in this state when a suit lingered for 20 years and the king was subsequently removed from the throne will not happen in Ogbomoso.
“We pray that such thing will not happen in Ogbomoso land. The case was of no benefit to the people, including the litigants. So, we pray that such will not happen in Ogbomoso.”
cc: Punch Ng
