Alaafin’s Suit Suffers Setback As Judge Prepares For Son’s Wedding

A law suit filed by the Alaafin of Oyo town, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III praying for High Court 11, Ring Road, Ibadan to make him a permanent chairman of the Traditional Council of Obas, yesterday suffered a setback as the presiding judge, Justice Olabisi Ige, was absent in court.

The former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, had earlier amended the law of the traditional council which conferred permanent chairmanship of the traditional council on the Alaafin.

The amended law states that the chairmanship should be rotational among Alaafin, Olubadan of Ibadan and Soun of Ogbomosho.

However, the Alaafin of Oyo town was not pleased with the development.

He asked the court to outlaw the amended law and make him a permanent chairman of the traditional council.

P.M.NEWS gathered that Justice Ige did not turn up in court because he was preparing for his son’s wedding holding on Saturday, 4 February 2012.

One of the court officials disclosed to P.M. NEWS, that “Oga (boss) is not coming today. Have you not heard that the son of my lord will get married on Saturday and he is preparing for the wedding? He will not be in court until next week after the marriage.”

While a few people that had their cases slated for today had to pick another dates in February, the majority of the cases were postponed till March.

All the remanded suspects at Agodi Prison were not happy about the development as some of them were seen begging their lawyers to help them out of their predicament.

Some of the lawyers also expressed their displeasure over the absence of the judge in court, stressing that no public official should allow his personal affair to affect his work.

—Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan