Oyo: Makinde Reinstates Sunday Oladejo As Onilala Of Lanlate

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has reinstated Sunday Olusegun Bolawaye Oladejo as the Onilala/Baale of Lanlate town in Ibarapa East Local Government Area of the State.

Oladejo was reinstated by the state government following the ruling of an Oyo High Court delivered in October 2018.

The former Governor of the state, Abiola Ajimobi had deposed Oladejo who was installed as the Onilala of Lanlate on 14th May 2008.

The immediate past governor on February 2012 installed Abdulateef Adewuyi Olagoke as Oladejo’s replacement.

The Oyo State High Court in October 2018, sacked Olagoke, describing his appointment as illegal.

However, Ajomobi refused to implement the Court ruling and went ahead to confer monarch title on Olagoke and asked the embattled monarch to vacate the stool.

The High Court sacked Olagoke in October 2018 after 19 years of legal battle on who is the rightful person to occupy the stool.

Justice B.A Taiwo, in his ruling, held that Olagoke’s installation was “unlawful, illegal, null and void”.

The Court also nullified Olagoke’s installation, describing it as “unlawful, illegal, null and void” and “a breach of the right of the claimants to a fair hearing.”

The court restrained the state government and its agencies from recognizing Olagoke as the Baale of Lanlate and also restrained him from parading himself as the Baale of Lanlate also known as Onilala of Lanlate.

Oyo State government was ordered to reinstate Oladejo to his position as Baale of Lanlate and restore all the rights, privileges and entitlements attached to his office.

The ruling which was rejected by the previous administration has now been carried out by the Makinde’s government.

The Governor in a letter dated February 3rd, 2020 and signed by Opatunmbi Femi Lawrence, Director (Chieftaincy Matter) at the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters in the state, approved the reinstatement of the deposed monarch.

Governor Makinde in the later noted that Abdulateef Olawuyi Olagoke has been deposed, he also declared that Olagoke’s appointment and reinstatement were unlawful, illegal, null and void.

The letter addressed to Oladejo reads, “I am directed to refer to the above subject matter on the letter dated 15th March 2019, from your counsel on the above subject and inform you that the Executive Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency, Engineer Seyi Makinde has graciously approved your reinstatement as Onilala/ Baale of Lanlate town with effect from 19th January 2020 in line with the judgement of the High Court of Justice of Oyo State of Nigeria delivered on 5th October 2018.

“By this letter, Chief Abdulateef Olawuyi Olagoke, has been deposed and his purported appointment and reinstatement have been declared unlawful, illegal and null and void. Kindly note that he has been communicated accordingly”.