By Dayo Johnson
AKURE—DEPOSED Deji of Akureland, Prince Oluwadare Adepoju yesterday lost his bid to halt the selection process to fill the vacant stool as an Akure High Court struck out the interlocutory injunction filed by him to restrain the state government from proceeding with the exercise.

This was coming as the Ojijigogun ruling house that is expected to produce the next Oba, nominated nine candidates to the 19 kingmakers.

But in a swift response to the ruling delivered by Justice Ademola Bola, the former Oba  through his Counsel, Olusola Oke filed an appeal against the judgment at the Appeal Court  in Benin, Edo State on the filling of the vacant stool. Olusola Oke said all the respondents in the case have been served court notice .

The former monarch is seeking an interlocutory injunction restraining the State Government, Attorney General, Regency Council and 17 others from taking further action to fill the vacant Deji’s stool.

The deposed monarch also sought an order restraining government from appointing a regent to direct the affair of Akureland pending the determination of the suit at the lower court.

Oke in a statement yesterday appealed to all the parties involved in the case,  particularly, the Ondo State Government and Secretary to Akure South Local Government to refrain from doing anything that will amount to reckless disdain for the Court of Appeal and the rule of law generally.

According to him, ‘we specifically appeal to the state government not to attempt to treat the matter with disdain. The present government gets to power through the rule of law and should try to abide by the same rule of law which brought it to power.”

We had to file an appeal against the Akure High Court judgment in consonance with relevant laws to restrain government from taking further action on the case. We have promptly filed the new application because we are conscious of earlier efforts by the agents and its agencies to act in complete conflict to the then pending application for injunction.

“These certainly caused our client untold embarrassments and portrayed the government as one that is poised to act in total disregard to the rule of law and due process.”

It would be recalled that at the  last sitting counsel to the defendants, Kayode Salami submitted that the plaintiff’s prayer for an interlocutory injunction is belated as he has already been deposed and a regency council constituted.

Meanwhile, reports from the meeting informed Vanguard that nine princes have been nominated to the 19 Kingmakers of the town.

It was gathered that seven of the short listed candidates are from the Adesida royal family while one candidate was short listed each from the Faturoti and Arosoye royal families respectively.

The ruling house is expected to forward the names of the shortlisted candidates to the Kingmakers who will consult Ifa oracle to pick the next monarch for Akure after which they (Kingmakers) will forward their choice to the government for final approval.

The next ruling house, the Ojijigogun had called the family meeting for Wednesday only to shift it till yesterday after some members of the Arosoye family claimed they were not aware of the Wednesday’s meeting where candidates are to be nominated hence the shift till yesterday.

The head of the family, Prince Soladoye Arosoye declined comments when asked about the outcome of the meeting which lasted hours.