The Olayide Royal Family has urged the Lagos State Government to reverse the installation of Prince Elias Omoloro Ijelu as the Olota of Otta-Ikosi town in the Ikosi/Ejinrin Local Government Development Council Area (LCDA).
The family said the installation took place despite a pending suit before Justice Ajibola Lawal-Akapo of the Lagos High Court.
The suit, marked IKD/2/2014, was filed by Pa Rasaki Oseni (head of the family) and six others against the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and nine others.
The Olayide Royal Family, in a statement by its Secretary Alhaji Moshood Balogun, said the July 1 installation cannot stand because it was done despite a pending suit.
The statement reads in part: “The main issue for determination amongst others is which Ruling House should produce the candidate for the Olota of Otta-Ikosi Town. The trial had commenced in the suit already.
“More worrisome is the fact the court had on the 30th March, 2015 ordered all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the suit.
“Despite that, the Lagos State Government through the Office of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, still went ahead to install Prince Elias Omoloro Ijelu, the seventh defendant in the suit as the Olota of Otta-Ikosi.”
The family, through its lawyer Ahmed Adetola-Kazeem, had written Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on May 5, urging him not to approve the installation of Prince Ijelu or any other person as the Olota of Otta-Ikosi pending the determination of the suit.
The family informed the governor that the parties, including the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, had filed their statements of defence.
The family expressed concern that any installation despite the pending case would undermine the powers of the court, as the issues of the rightful person to be installed as the Olota of Otta-Ikosi were yet to be determined.
Besides, it claimed that the action could lead to serious unrest in the community and may result in a breach of peace.
Imposing a monarch on the community, the family added, “will be contrary to the long-standing culture of the people of Otta-Ikosi”.
The Olayide Royal Family said the state’s action in installing Prince Ijelu “is very provocative and antithetical to the democratic principles it swore to uphold.”
“We are hopeful the government will retrace its steps and undo this very disgraceful and contemptuous act which is capable of leading to a breakdown of law and order in our community,” the family added.
But, counsel for Prince Ijelu, Mr Lekan Ijelu, said he was not aware of any restraining order against the state.
“Whilst I agree that if a case is pending, parties should stay action, there was no formal injunction restraining anybody from doing anything, as far as I know.
“I know that before Lagos State government would go to that extent, it must have sought legal advice. The Attorney-General is well represented in the case.”
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