Court restrains Odimayo again over Olofun stool dispute

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

An Ondo State High Court in Ondo State has extended an interim order that bars Mr. Samuel Saka Odimayo from presenting himself as the Olofun of Irele while a lawsuit challenging his selection and approval is pending.

The case is being heard in the Ondo State High Court in Okitipupa.

Prince Ademola Idowu Olowoyiribi, one of the candidates for the throne, filed the suit through his counsel, Femi Emmanuel Emodamori. He seeks to annul the Ondo State Executive Council’s approval of Odimayo’s appointment, which was granted on 2 June 2026, on the grounds that it violated an existing interim injunction issued on 6 May 2026.

Olowoyiribi also filed a Form 49 application requesting that Odimayo be committed to prison for alleged contempt, claiming that Odimayo proceeded to present himself for approval despite the court’s restraining order.

He further requests interim injunctions to prevent Odimayo from parading himself as monarch, performing installation rites, or taking steps toward coronation. The application also seeks to restrain the Irele Local Government, the Commissioner for Local Government, the state governor, and the kingmakers from recognising or installing him.

The claimant has asked the court to maintain the status quo ante bellum, insisting that the Olofun stool remain vacant until the hearing and determination of the interlocutory injunction.

The dispute intensified after the State Executive Council approved Odimayo’s appointment on 2 June 2026, despite the ongoing legal proceedings.

During the resumed hearing on 10 June 2026, counsel for the claimant, Emodamori, told the court that the government’s action amounted to contempt. Counsel for the state government, Helen Falowo, was absent, and Odimayo was also not represented.

The court renewed the 6 May ex parte order, directed that hearing notices be served on all defendants, and ordered them to respond within five working days. The matter was adjourned to 18 June 2026.

After the session, A.P. Amuluku, a member of the claimant’s legal team, described the alleged breach of the court order by the State Executive Council as “grave and dangerous.”

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