Court restrains Odimayo again over Olofun stool dispute

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

An Ondo State High Court sitting in Ondo State has renewed an interim order restraining Mr. Samuel Saka Odimayo from parading himself as the Olofun of Irele pending the determination of a suit challenging his selection and approval.

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

The suit was filed by Prince Ademola Idowu Olowoyiribi, one of the aspirants to the throne, through his counsel, Femi Emmanuel Emodamori. He is asking the court to set aside the Ondo State Executive Council’s approval of Odimayo’s appointment, which was granted on June 2, 2026, arguing that it violated a subsisting interim injunction issued on May 6, 2026.

Olowoyiribi also filed a Form 49 application seeking to commit Odimayo to prison for alleged contempt, claiming he went ahead to present himself for approval despite the court’s restraining order.

He is further seeking interim injunctions to stop 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 kingmakers from recognising or installing him.

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

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

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

The court renewed the May 6 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 June 18, 2026.

Speaking 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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