“Why Akeredolu must stop coronation ceremony of ‘deposed’ Arigidi-Akoko Monarch”

The Ondo state government and governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu have been asked to stopped the proposed 10th coronation anniversary of the embattled traditional ruler, Zaki of Arigidi-Akoko, Alhaji Yisa Olanipekun whose appointment had since been nullified by the State High Court and Appeal court.

A contestant to Zaki throne and member of the Arigidi Irara Ruling House, Prince Tunde Olanipekun, through his lawyer, Mr Femi Emmanuel-Emodamore said since the selection and appointment of Alhaji Yisa Olanipekun had been set aside by courts, the governor or any state government’s official should not be part of the coronation anniversary and the event slated for this week’s Saturday 27th October, 2018.

The lawyer said going ahead with such event could lead to breach of peace and order in the ancient town.

In a letter to the governor and heads of security agencies, Mr Emodamore insisted on the need for the state government and other institutions to distance themselves from the illegal, contemptuous and criminal actions of Alhaji Yisa Olanipekun in the face of existing court judgments.

The lawyer noted that Alhaji Yisa Olanipekun could no longer parade himself as the Zaki of Arigidi Akoko, pointing out that as it stands now therefore, there is no approval of anybody as Arigidi monarch known to the law.

The letter is titled; “celebration of the purported 10th year anniversary on the throne as the Zaki Of Arigidi by Alh. Yisa Olanipekun; the need for the ondo state government and other institutions to distance themselves from the illegal, contemptuous and criminal actions of Alhaji Yisa Olanipekun in the face of existing court judgments”.

He said, “the attention of Prince Tunde Olanipekun, a respected and charismatic member of the Irara Ruling House of the Zaki of Arigidi Chieftaincy has been drawn to the plan by Alhaji Yisa Olanipekun from the same Irara Ruling House of our client to celebrate a purported 10th Year Anniversary as the Zaki of Arigidi, a First Class Recognized Chieftaincy title in Arigidi Akoko of Ondo State, in preparation of which he has been sending out invitation letters to unsuspecting members of the public, dropping the name of Your Excellency as the Special Guest of Honour at the occasion. A copy of the invitation letter sent out by Alhaji Yisa Olanipekun in this regard is attached hereto as Annexure I for confirmation”.

Emodamore opined that, “your Excellency, from our brief, it is a notorious fact that the purported approval of the said Alhaji Yisa Olanipekun as the Zaki of Arigidi by the administration of former Governor, Chief Olusegun Agagu, have been nullified by both the Ondo State High Court and the Court of Appeal on the ground that the purported approval was in contempt and violation of an existing order of the Court”.

“Sequel to the Court of Appeal judgment, the Ondo State Government had issued a Legal Advice and directive through the office of the Attorney-General to the appropriate government institutions in the State not to recognize anybody as the Zaki of Arigidi until the appeal and cross-appeals of the parties in the case to the Supreme Court were determined”, he noted.

The lawyer said, “Instructively, the judgment of the Akure Judicial Division of the Court of Appeal dated 19th June, 2013 which upheld the earlier judgment of the Ondo State High Court delivered by Hon. Justice Olaseinde Kumuyi (the then Chief Judge) nullifying the purported approval of Alhaji Yisa Olanipekun, was reported or published in the Nigeria Weekly Law Report as OLANIPEKUN V. OLANIPEKUN (2015) 6 NWLR (PT1456) AT PAGE 488”.

“The judgment is therefore accessible to and verifiable by the whole world. Needless to state, our client was one of the contenders for the Zaki of Arigidi title and had instituted the case leading to the nullification of the purported approval of Alh. Yisa Olanipekun as the Zaki of Arigidi. The appeal of Alhaji Yisa Olanipekun to the Supreme Court over the nullification of his approval by the Court of Appeal is still pending”, Emodamore stated.

“As one of the finest and foremost Legal Practitioners in this country who had been bestowed with the highest honour and or recognition as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (S.A.N) before becoming the Governor of Ondo State, Your Excellency would clearly understand that for Alhaji Yisa Olanipekun to be parading himself as the Zaki of Arigidi without a valid approval constitutes a criminal offence under and by virtue of Section 15(1) of the Chiefs Law, Cap. 27, Volume 1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006, which states as follows:

“S.15(1) where a vacancy has occurred in a recognized chieftaincy and no person has been approved as successor thereto by the State Executive Council, any person who installs or purports to install a person as such chief or any person who holds himself out as such chief or permits himself to be installed as such chief commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for three years”.

According to Emodamori, “It is on the premise of the above facts that our client is not just concerned about the criminal actions of Alhaji Yisa Olanipekun but, much more importantly, concerned that he is dragging the name of Your Excellency into such criminal actions”.

The lawyer insisted that, “our client is therefore respectfully calling on Your Excellency and the Government of Ondo State to dissociate the State from the activities of Alhaji Yisa Olanipekun and, instead, direct the appropriate security agencies to commence immediate investigation and prosecution of Alhaji Yisa Olanipekun for felony in line with Section 15(1) of the Chiefs Law, Cap. 27, Volume 1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006 quoted above and other relevant Laws”.