The Supreme Court has finally resolved the 16-year legal battle over the Alara stool of Aramoko-Ekiti, dismissing the appeal filed by Prince Segun Aderemi and upholding the enthronement of the late Oba Adegoke Olu-Adeyemi.
The Apex Court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Idris Mohammed on behalf of four other justices, ruled that the appeal lacked merit and failed to establish any exceptional circumstances that would justify overturning the concurrent decisions of the High Court and the Court of Appeal.
According to the court, Prince Aderemi did not present a compelling argument capable of dislodging the well-reasoned judgments of the lower courts, which it described as “sound, firm in law, and unimpeachable”.
The late monarch and Prince Aderemi are both from the same Arakale Ruling House.
Reacting to the judgment, human rights lawyer Barrister Kabir Akingbolu said the Supreme Court’s decision reaffirms that traditional leadership is ultimately determined by divine will and the collective choice of the people.
Akingbolu criticized the prolonged legal challenge, noting that the deceased monarch was not only Prince Aderemi’s relative but also his mentor.
Akingbolu added that the Supreme Court ruling reinforces the principle that no one can impose themselves on a community, stressing that peace has finally returned to Aramoko-Ekiti after many years of tension.
