A State High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has directed parties to the tussle on the chairmanship position of the state’s council of traditional rulers to explore Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and return with their decision.

The presiding judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Abodunde, while giving her ruling, agreed that parties had the right to adopt the ADR on the suit in the interest of the state.

Governor Kayode Fayemi had appointed the Alawe of Ilawe-Ekiti, Oba Adebanji Alabi, as the chairman of the council.

But 16 prominent monarchs disagreed and approached the court to seek redress.

The aggrieved monarchs accused the governor of not following the law and precedent in the choice of Alawe as the chairman of the state traditional rulers.

At the resumed hearing yesterday, counsel to the aggrieved monarchs, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi, said discussions from stakeholders had been opened with his clients towards an amicable resolution of the impasse.

The aggrieved monarchs include the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe; the Alaaye of Efon, Oba Emmanuel Aladejare; the Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu; the Ologotun of Ogotun, Oba Samuel Oyebade; and the Oloye of Oye-Ekiti, Oba Oluwole Ademolaju.

Others are the Elemure of Emure, Oba Emmanuel Ogunleye; the Ajero of Ijero, Oba Joseph Adebayo; the Olomuo of Omuo, Oba Noah Omonigbehin; and the Olujido of Ido, Oba Ayorinde Ilori-Faboro.

Owoseni said the aggrieved monarchs were interested in sustaining the current peace in the state, but were opposed to the proposal by the state government for them to withdraw the suit.

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