“Why Nomination, selection, and appointment of Mosudi Onakade as Alakenne of Ikenne are null and void,” Details of the landmark judgement that ended a 13 year reign and threw up the Ikenne-Remo’s Palace vacant again + PHOTOS
The Supreme Court on Friday ended the protracted Ikenne-Remo kingship tussle with a landmark judgment that nullified the installation of Oba Mosudi Adeyinka Onakade and declared the Alakenne stool vacant.
NOP NIGERIA reports that in a unanimous decision, the apex court upheld the March 2024 judgment of the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division, ruling that Onakade’s nomination, selection, and appointment as Alakenne of Ikenne breached the Alakenne of Ikenne Chieftaincy Declaration Edict of 1998.
The court declared the entire process that produced Onakade “illegal, null, and void,” and set aside his approval by the authorities.
It also issued a restraining order barring Onakade from further parading himself as the Alakenne of Ikenne, effectively ending his 13-year reign.
The ruling is widely seen as a major legal victory for Prince Yomi Ademola Adeyiga-Adeneye, who had challenged Onakade’s 2011 installation on grounds of procedural violations and flawed nomination within the Obara ruling house.
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The kingship dispute dates back to the death of Oba Gilbert Akindoyin Awomuti, after which competing claims emerged over which of the four ruling houses — Obara, Gbasemo, Iwaye/Orogbe, and Moko — should produce the next monarch under the town’s rotational system.
In 2020, an Ogun State High Court in Sagamu upheld Onakade’s installation, ruling that no vacancy existed on the stool and dismissing Adeyiga-Adeneye’s claims.
But the Court of Appeal overturned that decision in March 2024, holding that the 1998 Chieftaincy Declaration was violated — a position the Supreme Court has now affirmed.
Delivering judgment, the apex court stressed that the 1998 Declaration remains the only valid legal framework for selecting the Alakenne and must be strictly adhered to in any future process.
However, the Supreme Court noted that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to bar Onakade from future contests, meaning he remains eligible to participate in a fresh selection process for the stool.
The court also dismissed a separate appeal filed by the Ogun State Government, thereby reinforcing the appellate court’s decision without alteration.
With Friday’s verdict, the Alakenne stool is officially vacant, and a new selection process is expected to be initiated in line with the 1998 Edict.
Reacting to the judgment, Prince Adeyiga-Adeneye, in a press statement he personally signed, described the outcome as a “moment of liberation” for Ikenne.
He said the victory was not only for the people of Ikenne but also for the “great warriors who lost their lives during the struggle,” praying that their souls rest in peace.
“We thank them for their services to Ikenne. IKENNE IS FREE AT LAST! No more arrests, intimidation or oppression,” the statement read.
Adeyiga-Adeneye called for peace and reconciliation, declaring that “peace and freedom are the wind in Ikenne” and urging residents to let “Ikenne be great again.”
He cautioned, however, that “distractors of peace and progress” may attempt to reignite tensions, and appealed to the town to remain committed to truth and unity as the community prepares for a fresh process to fill the vacant throne.
NOP NIGERIA
