Deposed Monarch urges court to stop Mimiko, kingmakers from filling Deji’s stool

As the battle on the next Deji of Akure continues, dethroned Deji of Akure, Oba Oluwadare Adesina has approached the Appeal Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State Capital, demanding for the reinstatement of his applications that have earlier been struck out by a lower Court. Before the death of the late Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi Adesida, the deposed Deji had earlier sued Governor Olusegun Mimiko, Attorney General for the State and Commissioner for local government and Chieftaincy Affairs as well as Akure Chiefs, praying the court to stop them from installing another Deji of Akure in 2010.
Even at that, the Presiding Judge of the state High court, Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi dismissed the petition on the grounds that it lacked merits and that the deposed Deji was legally removed by the State Government.
But at the Appellate Court yesterday, Counsel to the Respondents, Bar. Olalekan Ojo, Folorunso Ahmed and Olaniran Oladapo said their clients could not appear before the Court because they were still traditionally mourning the late Deji. Particularly, the Counsel to the Chiefs, Kayode Dare pleaded that four of his clients were dead, therefore nobody could appear for them until the stools were taken over by new Chiefs. Earlier, counsel to Adesina had pleaded that the Court should extend the time within to compile and transmit the record of appeal for proper transmission of the case. In her ruling, the Presiding Judge, Denton West ruled in favour of the pleading of Counsel to the deposed Monarch,stressing that the counsel to the parties should choose a date and notify the Court. According to her, the counsel should let the dead be, and that those living Should move ahead with the case. She added that the dead could not stop the case from being decided, urging both appellant and respondents with their counsel to settle with concerned parties in order to restore the expected and desired peace. Justice West observed that if they should continue to pursue the case,it might take longer than expected, especially now that a particular date had not been fixed for hearing.