The Supreme Court has put an end to the long-running tussle over the headquarters of Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, reaffirming Eda Oniyo as the constitutionally recognized seat.
In a judgment delivered on Monday, September 22, the apex court, presided over by Justice Inyang Okoro, dismissed an appeal filed by Iye-Ekiti community challenging the relocation of the council headquarters back to Eda Oniyo by the Ekiti State Government.
The dismissal follows an earlier judgment of the Supreme Court on December 14, 2018, which had upheld Eda Oniyo as the headquarters after the community challenged its relocation to Iye-Ekiti.
Delivering judgment on the fresh appeal, the court held that it could not invalidate its earlier decision, noting that the decree that created the local government has become part of the law and can only be amended by the National Assembly.
The court noted that since the state government had already complied with the 2018 judgment by relocating the headquarters to Eda Oniyo, there was no basis for fresh litigation.
The apex court berated counsel to the appellants for not advising his clients on the futility of the appeal and for subjecting them to unnecessary litigation over a matter already settled by the Supreme Court.
It thereafter awarded a cost of N10 million in favour of Eda Oniyo.
Prof. Kayode Adetifa represented the Eleda of Eda Oniyo, who was the 3rd Respondent in the appeal, while Eniola Arogundade, Director of Appeals at the Ekiti State Ministry of Justice, represented the state government.
The appellants were represented by Taiwo Hassan, SAN.
