Ondo govt defends approval of new Olusupare, says no court order violated

The Ondo State Government has defended its approval of Prince Adewale Fatunsi Richard as the new Olusupare of Supare-Akoko, asserting that the decision adhered to due process and did not contravene any existing court orders. The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Amidu Takuro, described Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa's administration as committed to due process.

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What happened in Supare-Akoko was that after the selection, to the best of our knowledge, there was no rancour, no crisis. Out of the three people that went for the contest, one got five votes, the other got four votes, and the third got zero.

This clarification addresses allegations made by Barrister Tolu Babaleye, counsel for a contestant, Prince Solomon Animasahun Adelakun. Babaleye claimed the government ratified the appointment despite an interlocutory injunction restraining parties involved, calling the action a "flagrant disobedience to a subsisting court order and a reckless affront to the sanctity of the Judiciary."

Commissioner Takuro countered that the initial order was an interim injunction, legally valid for only 14 days, which had since expired. He explained that the selection process proceeded without major conflict after one candidate withdrew from the family contest before the selection, only to later approach the court. Takuro noted that the government waited nearly two years, and with the injunction lapsed, legal advice indicated no impediment to the installation.

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We waited for almost two years. The interim injunction lapsed. The other side then brought the demand that nothing stopped them from being installed according to the law of the land. It was not an interlocutory injunction that could restrain government.

Takuro further stated that the community had suffered from a lack of leadership for an extended period. He emphasized the government's commitment to the rule of law, citing the example of Ore, where a stay of execution in a related matter has prevented the installation of a new Oba despite community demand. Regarding allegations of creating new kingdoms, Takuro clarified that the government merely complied with a High Court judgment that renamed Irun-Akoko to Oke-Oro, a decision he deemed practical and necessary.

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If there is an order today, we will never go further. We will wait. There are still some litigations in some suits as of today.

In related news, Takuro reported on his inspection of projects across the state's 18 local government areas, stating that all councils performed well in needs assessment and service delivery. A data collation team has been established to monitor projects and ensure their proper execution, prioritizing policies with direct community impact.

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It was a court that pronounced that place as Oke-Oro, not Ondo State Government. The only thing we did was to comply with that directive.