A High Court sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, has ordered that the status of the 75 coronet obas, who were promoted by the former governor Ibikunle Amosun administration, but sacked by Governor Dapo Abiodun, should be sustained until the determination of a substantive suit filed against the government.
Justice A. A. Akinyemi in his ruling on Tuesday in respect of an interlocutory injunction brought before him by the 75 coronet obas, through their counsel, Olumide Oniyire, ordered that the status quo should be observed.
He said the relationship between the claimants and the defendants prior to the termination of their appointments and promotions on February 6 should be sustained pending determination of the suit.
The case was adjourned till July 7.
The government had on May 13, 2019 during the Amosun administration confirmed the appointment and upgrading of some community chiefs to coronet obas, but the current government on February 6 reversed it.
When the case was mentioned on Tuesday, counsel to the claimants, Olumide Oniyire, accused the government and its agents of intimidating the claimants by barring them from parading themselves as monarchs.
He said the hostility in connection with the purported demotion of the ‘Ogun 75’ began after the revocation of their appointments by the government on February 6. The claimants’ counsel prayed the court to grant the interlocutory injunction and order that the status quo should remain until the court determined the legalities of the appointment.
He said: “The claimants were sacked and despite that the case is still in court, the defendants have been harassing, intimidating and embarrassing the claimants at their communities.
“Chieftaincy cases are sensitive matters. We expected that the defendants should have waited until the determination of the case.
“We are applying for accelerated hearing of the case and we pray that the status quo before the letter of revocation should remain.” Defence counsel O. A. Dankuwo asked the court to give them a date to file their processes. She argued that the status quo should be after the revocation of the appointment of the coronet obas.
Dankuwo said: “The act has already been done before they came to court and as such the status quo should be after the revocation of appointments.”
