Justice E. O. Ashade of the Lagos High Court sitting at Sabo has dismissed a suit filed by Mr. Wasiu Ademola Sanni challenging the nomination of Prince Wasiu Akanbi Lawal Akapo as the Aro Elect of Aro Ejimosu Family of Ojora Royal Family.
Sanni went to Court challenging the selection and nomination of Prince Akapo from Onbiya Ruling House of Aro Ejimosu Family of Ojora Royal Family to fill the vacant seat of Chief Aro of Ijora, and also seeking to restrain Oba Fatai Aremu Aromire, the Ojora of Ijora and Iganmu Kingdom from accepting and installing Prince Akapo as the Aro of Ijora.
In dismissing the suit, Justice Ashade held that the action of the claimant was not only frivolous, but also brought in mischief and in bad faith, considering the fact that the claims being sought by him has already been decided in suit No. LD/3820/99 – Gafari Yusuf Fadiya & Ors v. Kolawole Oloyede & Ors by Justice Bola Okikiola-Ighile of the High Court of Lagos and unanimously affirmed by the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos in Suit No. CA/L/419/2016.
The court held that the decisions were to the effect that Onbiya Ruling House of Aro Ejimosu should produce the candidate to occupy the vacant seat of Chief Aro of Ijora.
Justice Ashade, in his ruling, berated applicant’s counsel for encouraging his client to file the suit bearing in mind that the claims being sought has already been decided in favour of Onbiya Ruling House by both the High Court and the Appeal Court.
Relying on the views of Justice Amina Augie in Degi Eremenyo v. PDP (2021) 16 NWLR (Pt 1800), Justice Ashade held that counsel must also take responsibility for failed strategy employed when filing a case, while fully aware of the substance of the matter.
He, thereafter, awarded the cost of ₦10 million against the claimant/respondent in favour of the defendant/applicant to be paid personally by Mr. K. O. Bakare, the learned counsel to the claimant.
The issue on who should occupy the stool of Aro of Ojoraland has been in litigation for more than 20 years with the Onbiya Ruling Family of Aro Ejimosu successfully proving its case and being affirmed by both the High court and Appeal Court sitting in Lagos as the family to produce the candidate for the very important position in the Ojora Royal Family of Lagos hierarchy.
