The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, has said that democracy would survive in Nigeria only if the judiciary remained an unbiased umpire. He said this at the public presentation of a book, "Chieftaincy Laws in Nigeria: Principles and Practice, ’’ published in his honour which took place in Ibadan Thursday.
The Monarch said the judiciary needed to be an unbiased umpire that could mediate in disputes at all levels, including inter-governmental and intra-governmental disputes.
"I have spent the last 42 years on the throne as the Alaafin, contributing immensely to the development of the traditional institution in Nigeria. I have been to the law courts to either challenge what I consider a bad government policy against traditional institution, to seek proper interpretation of wordings of the law or to seek the position of the law where none is clearly defined on chieftaincy matters,
"In doing all these, I have approached the courts with 100 cases and in all the decided cases, with due respect to members of the Bench, the inner Silk and the lawyers, the Alaafin has never lost a case on
traditional institution matters,’’ he said.
He said he was a stickler to the rule of law, adding that the society would be an animal kingdom without its entrenchment.
Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State described the Alaafin of Oyo as one of the most knowledgeable traditional rulers in Nigeria.
"The Alaafin is one of the most endowed in history. He is intellectually, traditionally, spiritually and culturally sound,’’ he said.
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