An appeal court sitting in Ilorin has nullified the appointment and installation of Mufutau Gbadamosi as the Olofa of Offa, while also restraining him from parading himself as the traditional ruler of the community forthwith.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Hussein Muhktar, the appellate court held that the evidence before it clearly showed that the ascension to the stool of Olofa of Offa is by rotation between the Olugbense Ruling House, the appellants and the Anilelerin Ruling House, the respondents.
To the court, rotation principle in the town had been established since 1969 when the Late Oba Keji from the Olugbense ruling house agreed to step down from throne and allowed the late Oba Mustapha Olawoore from the Anilelerin ruling house to ascend the throne, in order to allow peace to reign in Offa. This, the court said, was after the intervention of the state government.
Setting aside the decision of the high court sitting in Offa delivered on 19 July 2012 by Justice S.M Akanbi which upheld the appointment and installation of Mr Gbadamosi, the appellate court consequently granted all the reliefs of the appellants and nullified Oba Gbadamosi’s appointment and installation, saying he should stop parading himself as the Olofa of Offa, while also ordering the state government to immediately install Prince Abdulrauf Adegboyega Keji, who is from Olugbense ruling house as the ruler.
Counsel to the Olugbense ruling house, John Baiyeshea, san, had approached the court of appeal in protest of the judgment delivered by the high court that the ascension to the stool of the Olofa of Offa is not rotational but by competition between the two ruling houses thereby upholding the decision of the state government to approve the appointment and installation of Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi as the Olofa of Offa.
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