…..Seek Intervention of Appeal Court President over non-release of judgment Copy 19days after.
Three first Class monarchs in Akure North local government have rejected the judgement of the court of appeal that confirmed the Deji of Akure as the Prescribed Authority on chieftancy matters in Akure North and Akure south local governments, vowing to challenge the verdict at the Supreme Court.
The three traditional rulers namely: the Oloba of Obaile, the Okiti of Iju and Ogbolu of Itaogbolu, however called for the intervention of the judiciary authorities especially the President of the Appeal Court over the delay in releasing the certified true copy of the judgement to the appellants to enable their lawyers file the appeal at the Apex court within the stipulated time allowed by the law.
The Appeal Court had delivered its judgement on 14th February, 2025 but the Head of Litigation of the court had failed to make the CTC of the judgement available to the three monarchs till date 4th March, 2025 when this report was published, despite the fact that their lawyers headed by Chief Akin Olujimi, SAN, through Barr. Femi Emodamori had written a letter of reminder to demand the release of the judgement copy.
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 7days.”
In the letter to the Head of Litigation, Court of Appeal, Akure Judicial Division dated 26th February, 2025, one of the lawyers to the three monarchs, Femi Emmanuel Emodamori, and obtained by our correspondent, reads “REQUEST FOR A CERTIFIED TRUE COPY OF THE JUDGMENT DELIVERED ON 14TH FEBRUARY, 2025: 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, till date, eleven days after the delivery of the judgment, we have not been given a copy of the judgment, despite series of telephone calls by the undersigned Counsel to the Head of Litigation of the Court to demand for 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 if a Certified True Copy of the judgment is released to us to enable us activate our clients’ instruction. Please accept our highest regards.”
