The Palace of Onitele of Itele-Ota Kingdom in Ogun State has described the suit filed by Adogun Atele challenging the emergence of Oba Musiliu Ademola Eletu-Ashorota, as baseless and frivolous, saying the suit was aimed at ridiculing the stool of the Onitele of Itele-Otta kingdom.
The Secretary of Onitele Palace, Azeem Salako stated this in a statement issued and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, the Ogun the state capital.
Salako emphasised that the process that led to the emergence of Oba Eletu-Ashorota, followed due process and in accordance with the law on the appointment and installation of a traditional ruler in Onitele of Itele-Otta Awori kingdom.
His words, “the palace of the Onitele of Itele-Ota Kingdom wishes to state firmly that the process that led to the emergence of our highly respected monarch, HRM Oba Musiliu Ademola Eletu-Ashorota was not only by popular demand, it equally followed the due process in accordance to the law that is stipulated for the appointment and installation of a traditional ruler vis; Onitele of Itele-otta Awori kingdom”.
“Therefore, the people of Itele-Otta Awori and our respected monarch will not lose sleep over the baseless and frivolous accusation of Adogun Atele”.
He continued saying, “there is a judgment affirmed that there is no Adogun Atele in the history of Itele-Otta which went from the High Court of Otta, to the Appellate Court in Ibadan. Ditto a subsisting Supreme Court judgment (SC720/2018) as recent as 2020 delivered by My Lordship Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour who having heard the prayers of the appellants (Adogun Atele), apparently irritated by their frivolities, pronounced their appeal as null and void, lacking any merit and to that extent dismissed the case in its entirety”.
“This is inarguably the most recent Supreme Court judgment on the matter. It is not unexpected that they will, and as they are carrying about a case that has been dismissed by the apex court. It is in their behaviour to create deliberate misunderstanding and confusion to mislead the unsuspecting public”.
Salako, while criticizing Adogun Atele for linking the All Progressives Congress (APC), and its Abeokuta South House of Representatives candidate, Afolabi Afuape to the matter, said they engaged in the fallacy of ad hominem, preferring to harass a nomenclature; which is
completely irrelevant to the matter at hand.
“This is a sufficient proof that the main intention of this vexatious litigation is political and the target of their malicious litigation is the immediate former occupant of the office of the Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon Afolabi Afuape who has done what was right by ensuring that not only that the vacant stool of the Onitele of Itele Otta Awori kingdom is filled, but that the due
process is followed to the latter”.
He enjoined residents and indigenes of Itele-Ota to disregard any publications and treat it with the contempt it deserves.
“Since the emergence of our highly respected monarch HRM Oba Musiliu Ademola Eletu-Ashorota, the good people of Itele-otta Awori kingdom are in high spirit, joyous mood and unprecedented optimism resulting from the tremendous and unprecedented development ignited by Ashorota’s exemplary leadership, participatory governance, philanthropy, social mobilization for economic empowerment”.
