Despite the litigation against the selection of Soun of Ogbomoso Land, Oba Ghandi Olaoye, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State will officially present the staff of office to the monarch on Saturday, December 16, 2023.
It was learnt that a long-week programme, which was expected to commence, on Monday, December 10 in Ogbomoso Land, would be rounded off on Sunday, December 17, with a thanksgiving service.
A palace source said, “All is now set for a successful presentation of staff of office to our Oba. All necessary arrangements have already been put in place.
“The presentation will officially be done by the state governor, Makinde, on Saturday, December 16, which is next month. It is a week-long programme starting on Monday and ending on Sunday.”
It would be recalled that a state High Court sitting in Ogbomoso had granted a stay of execution of the October 25 judgement, which ordered the removal of the monarch.
A prince, Kabir Olaoye, filed a suit marked HOG/27/2022, alleging irregularities in the process that led to Oba Ghandi’s emergency as Soun of Ogbomosoland.
Justice Kareem Adedokun ruled in favour of the plaintiff and sacked Oba Ghandi.
Displeased with the judgement, Oba Ghandi and the state government filed an appeal as well as an application for a stay of execution.
On Monday, the judge granted the application for stay and directed “all the parties to maintain the status quo ante pending the hearing and determination of the appeal already filed by the defence of Oba Olaoye and the state government.”
The state government had announced Ghandi, a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God as the new Soun and made him king, on September 8, 2023; two years after Oba Jimoh Oyewumi Ajagungbade III joined his ancestors in December 2021, at the age of 95 years and reigned for 48 years.
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