A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Taiwo Kupolati, has called for the stoppage of the scheduled 14th Olomodulawe chieftaincy anniversary in Ilawe-Ekiti, Ekiti South West Local Government Area of Ekiti, citing the pending suit at the apex court.

In a letter addressed to the counsel of the current chieftaincy holder, Chief Idowu Ibiowotisi, the senior lawyer argued that it would be contemptuous and against the rule of law for his client to proceed with the planned anniversary on Wednesday, November 10, without recourse to the suit challenging his legitimacy as the chieftaincy holder.

Kupolati explained that the judgment of the appeal court in December 2017, which still subsists vacating the earlier victory of Ibiowotisi as legitimate holder of Olomodulawe at the state high court should be respected till the Supreme Court gives verdict on the chieftaincy tussle. According to him, in a bid to stop the alleged lawlessness, the applicants, through him, have approached the Supreme Court for an injunction restraining the holder from celebrating the advertised anniversary as Olomodulawe of Ilawe-Ekiti. However, Ibiowotisi, who spoke through his counsel, Dr. Kayode Adetifa said the anniversary celebration would hold as scheduled, describing the injunction sought by Kupolati as unnecessary and an abuse of court process.

Adetifa said: “ I have received the said letter and the other application for restraining order by my colleague and I can say that it is unnecessary and an abuse of constitutional process. Nothing is stopping the 14th anniversary celebration as scheduled on Wednesday. “ Let me say that he remains as the Olomodulawe of Ilawe-Ekiti and carry out the functions of the chieftaincy until otherwise stated by the Supreme Court, let them wait for the apex court. We are waiting for the date of hearing and subsequently judgment date. “We have gone far from filing an injunction in this case, in the sense that we have filed the appeal at the Supreme Court and that because it has not been heard, it is not the fault of the appellant. You can’t be in the Supreme Court and be filing an injunction at the same time, it is absolutely an abuse of the court process.”