First-Class monarchs from Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State have petitioned the President of the Court of Appeal over the delay in the release of Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment that affirmed Deji of Akure as prescribed authority over chieftaincy matters in their domains.
The traditional rulers including the Oloba of Obaile, Okiti of Iju, and Ogbolu of Itaogbolu, called for the intervention of the judicial authorities especially the President of the Appeal Court over the delay in releasing the certified true copy of the judgment to the appellants to enable their lawyers file the appeal at the Apex court within the stipulated time allowed by the law.
The monarchs have rejected the judgment of the appellate court sitting in Akure that conferred the Deji of Akure as the prescribed authority on chieftaincy matters in Akure North and Akure South local governments
The Court of Appeal had on February 14 delivered a judgment on a suit over who has authority on chieftaincy matters in both Akure South and North, two contiguous local governments.
However, the first-class monarchs who were displeased with the verdict vowed to challenge the authority of the Deji of Akure at the Supreme Court.
In a petition by counsel to the monarchs, Chief Akin Olujimi, through Femi Emodamori, said the CTC of the judgment had not been released to them 19 days after the verdict was delivered.
The monarchs accused the Head of Litigation of the Appeal Court of frustrating their appeal at the Supreme Court.
According to the three First Class Monarchs, the refusal of the Court of Appeal to release the CTC of the judgment to their lawyers has frustrated their intention to file an appeal to the Supreme Court, lamenting that “it is now 19 days that the judgment was delivered by the Court of Appeal, while the law said the verdict CTC shall be released to within seven days.”
The petition dated February 26 and addressed to the Court expressed worry over the delay in the release of the document needed to challenge the verdict of the court at the apex court.
Emodamori in the letter addressed to the Head of Litigation titled “Request For a Certified True Copy of The Judgment Delivered on 14th February 2025” said “We are part of the Legal team led by Chief Akin Olujinmi, SAN as counsel for the Appellants in the above case, and we have the instruction of the lead Counsel to write this letter.
“The appeal was dismissed in a judgment delivered on 14th February 2025. Regrettably, to date, eleven days after the delivery of the judgment, we have not been given a copy of the judgment, despite a series of telephone calls by the undersigned counsel to the Head of Litigation of the Court to demand same and his initial assurance that it would be available within the constitutionally-stipulated period of seven days.
“Our inability to obtain a copy of the judgment has been preventing us from perfecting the instruction of our clients to take some immediate steps concerning the matter.
“We would therefore appreciate it if a Certified True Copy of the judgment is released to us to enable us to activate our clients’ instruction. Please accept our highest regards.”
