A human rights organization, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice, CHRSJ, has tackled the Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, for encouraging deposed new Alawo and an alleged serial forger, Mr. Adegboye Taiwo Abdulrasaq, to be parading himself as Alawo in flagrant disobedience to Appeal Court Judgement dated 8th day of August, 2022.
The rights group advised Governor Ademola Adeleke to stop all these illegal naked dances where his elder sister, Mrs. Modupe Adeleke Sanni and her husband, Mr. Aderemi Sanni, had been at the centre stage of this illegality, saying that without the backing of Adeleke, deposed Adegboye will not have the effrontery to be parading himself or performing any function as new Alawo in flagrant disregard to Appeal Court Judgement.
Reacting to planned Coronation Anniversary of deposed Adegboye slated to hold on Saturday, 9th of December,2023, where Governor Ademola Adeleke gave the nod to her elder sister and her husband to be conferred with illegal Honorary Chieftaincy Title in total disregard to Appeal Court Judgement that had dethroned Adegboye not to parade himself or perform any function as new Alawo.
Despite the Appeal Court judgement, Governor Adeleke was still planning to present Staff of Office to Adegboye through the backdoor by lying against the immediate past Governor of the State and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Gbeyega Oyetola, claiming that Oyetola had earlier presented the Staff of Office to Adegboye, before Oyetola through his Media Aide, Alhaji Ismail Omipidan, busted the State Government’s machinery of lies that Oyetola had never presented Staff of Office to Adegboye in obedience to the Appeal Court Judgement, which was still subsisting till the time of filing this report.
While commending Alhaji Oyetola for realizing the earlier mistake in appointing Adegboye Taiwo Abdulrasaq on 13th September, 2021, without due process of law, who attached series of forgery documents including falsification of age, perjury, identity theft of Polytechnic Notification of Results and NYSC Certificate and fake and forged selection documents, for refusing to present Staff of Office and Certificate to the controversial Adegboye, waiting for Supreme Court of Nigeria to say otherwise on the subject matter in obedience to rule of law and Appeal Court Judgement.
Debunking the claim of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, that Oyetola and not Senator Ademola Adeleke, issued the Staff of Office to Adegboye Taiwo Abdulrasaq
Alhaji Omipidan noted that he was not surprised by the claim of Olawale Rasheed, insisting that his penchant for lying was legendary. He challenged the governor’s spokesperson to produce any material evidence to support his false claim.
Oyetola’s media aide further asserted that he has it on a good authority that Governor Adeleke and not Oyetola signed the illegal Certificate being paraded by Adegboye against a legal opinion from government officials.
“While it is true that Adegboye Taiwo Abdulrasaq was appointed during the Oyetola’s administration, the moment the Court nullified his appointment, the government stayed action. That was why his official Coronation was never carried out until we left the office. Therefore, my principal never signed any document nor issued him a Staff of Office. If there is, I challenge the Adeleke’s government to produce same.”
“If indeed, Governor Adeleke has respect for due process and rule of law, how come the government is unable to carry out the judgement of the court with regards to the Alawo stool. In the eyes of the law, the current occupant is an usurper and the government should treat him as such rather than trying to pass the buck, which unfortunately has become the pastime of the present administration.”
“Oyetola is no longer the governor. How come you still want to hold him responsible for an action that was carried out in the last one year of the current administration? I advise Olawale Rasheed and his ilks to stop lying against the person of Oyetola, as he did not issue any staff of office to the Adegboye Taiwo Abdulrasaq,” Omipidan said.
Going by Oyetola’s claim, the question now is that where the son of current Head of Appeal Court, Lagos Division and current State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Wole Jimi-Bada, through his aide, one ignorant Arewa Oluwaseun, got his lame argument on the non-existing Stay of Execution order from the same Appeal Court of Akure Judicial Division, challenging the Attorney- General of the State,Mr. Jimi-Bada, to bring out to the public if there was any evidence of Stay of Execution order on the subject matter.
The group said that it was very unfortunate that the Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice, who was supposed to be the Chief Legal Officer/Adviser of the State, could direct his aide to issue a statement supporting the disrespect to Appeal Court Judgement and rule of law on whatever any guise on Alawo Chieftaincy Stool because of political inuendos which blindfolded their professional conduct as a legal practitioner.
It added that a responsible and responsive government official would advice the State Government to take a restrain on the subject matter as Appeal Court delivered its judgement on 8th day of August,2022 and by also advising the government to investigate the alleged forgery scandal ravaging the man at the Centre of the Chieftaincy Stool, instead of looking for way to further perpetrate the contemptuous action, adding that Adegboye could not have embarked on the current illegality without supporting of the State Government, asking rhetorically why Adegboye could not embark on one year Coronation Anniversary while Oyetola who made mistake of approving his appointment held forth in the State.
According to the Statement issued by CHRSJ’s Media Office, which was signed by its Assistant General Secretary (AGS), Pastor Michael Agassi on Friday, he explained that all the actions or any name they might call it by the elder sister to Governor Ademola Adeleke, Mrs. Dupe Adeleke Sanni, Adegboye Taiwo Abdulrasaq and the State Government on Alawo Chieftaincy Stool,was illegal, null and void and contemptuous in nature which was an affront to Appeal Court Judgement in CA/AK/58/2021 and Supreme Court of Nigeria in SC/CV/1079/2022.
Pastor Agassi, who described Saturday outing as jamboree, stressing that the Appeal Court Judgement was clear without any ambiguity on the subject matter and whatever they called illegal yesterday, would never become legitimate today under Governor Ademola Adeleke on whatever any name, adding that Governor Adeleke, who swore to uphold the Constitution and Rule of Law while taken the Oath of Office, is now breaking the law with executive recklessness.
Supporting its argument with the position of the Supreme Court of Nigeria that it is trite principle of rule of law to obey the order of the Court as contained in the case of ABACHA V. FAWEHINMI (2002)2 SCNQR 489 at 546 thus :”….It is the law that a decision of a Court of competent jurisdiction,no matter that if seems palpable null and void, unattractive or unsupportable, remains good law and uncompromisingly binding until set aside by a superior Court of competent jurisdiction”.
Also citing, the case of Agbai Vs Okogbue(1991)7 NWLR (Pt 204)391, Abiodun Vs Chief Judge, Kwara State(2007)18 NWLR (Pt1065)109,Bass & Matt Enterprises (Nig) Ltd Vs keystone Bank Ltd(2015) 1NWLR (Pt1441)609, Agbakoba Vs INEC (2008)18 NWLR (1119)489, Vaswani Trading Co Ltd Vs Savalakh & Co(1972) 12 SC 77,Ivory Merchant Bank Ltd Vs. Partnership Investment Ltd(1996) 5 NWLR (Pt 448)362, Unipetrol (Nig) Plc Vs Abubakar (1997) 6 NWLR (Pt 509) 470,Effiom Vs Ironbar (2000)3 NWLR (Pt 650)545, Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Ltd Vs Cutra International Ltd(2020)11 NWLR (Pt1735)302, Governor, Kwara State Vs Adeniyi(2021)12 NWLR (Pt 1790)305, Ezegbu Vs First African Trust Bank Ltd (1992) 1 NWLR (Pt 220)699,Confitrust (Nig) Ltd Vs Emmax Motors Ltd (2016) LPELR 41428(CA),All Progressives Congress Vs Karfi (2017) LPELR 47024(SC).
And Registered Trustees, Apostolic Church Vs Olowoleni(1990) 6 NWLR (Pt 158) at 537-538,Nnaemeka- Agu,JSC, explained the law this: “….. Once parties have turned their dispute over to the Courts for determination,the right to resort to self-help ends. So, it is not permissible for one of the parties to take any step during the pendency of the Suit which may have the effect of foisting upon the Court a situation of complete helpnessness,or which may give the impression that the Court is being used as a mere subterfuge,to tie the hands of one party while the other party helps himself extra- judicially. Both parties are expected to await the results of the litigation and the appropriate order of Court before acting further…In The Military Governor of Lagos State v Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu ….., the Supreme Court gave its stamp of approval to the principle,inter alia,that once the Court is seized of the matter,no party has the right to take the matter into its own hands…..
The group stated that the same principle applies in this case,mutatis mutandis, notwithstanding the fact that the offending party in this case is a church organization.They are subjected to the rule of law, and are expected to obey the law. Once they submitted the dispute to the court,they ought not to have done nothing which gave the impression that they are trying to pre-empt the decision of the Court. They could no longer, pending the determination of the suit,resort to self-help by erecting the fence wall without an order of the Court. To have done so amounted to lawlessness…”
Agassi,who therefore, disclosed that the rights group had informed all the security agencies in the country to ensure that all the parties obey the rule of law and Appeal Court Judgement in Appeal N0: CA/AK/58/2021 and Supreme Court of Nigeria in SC/ CV/1079/2022, in respect of Alawo Chieftaincy Stool, adding that the group has been reporting to other appropriate authorities including Disciplinary Committee of the Legal profession.