Court strikes out Obasanjo’s wife suit to stop son’s wedding

Justice Lateefa Okunnu of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja on Monday struck out the suit filed by wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mrs. Taiwo Obasanjo, seeking to stop the wedding of their son, Olujonwo.

In the suit, she named Chief Sir (Dr.) Kessington Adebutu and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as respondents.

Mrs. Taiwo Obasanjo had sought an order of the family court to postpone the wedding of Olujonwo beyond May, 2017 on the ground of a spiritual advice she was given concerning him.

She also prayed to court to compel all stakeholders in the wedding to agree to postpone the wedding so as to allow her perform her parental duties towards his son.

At the resumption of the proceedings, Counsel to the respondents, Bode Olanipekun, urged the court to dismiss the suit for lack of lack jurisdiction.

Olanipekun stated that by virtue of section 18 of the Marriage Act and Section 261 of the Child’s Act, the court lacked jurisdiction to hear that matter because the child in the suit is above 18 years.

Olanipekun also pointed out that claims in the applicant’s suit does not disclose any reasonable cause of action.
He also drew the attention of the court to a letter purportedly written to a church with the notion that the court has given an injunction stopping the marriage.

Mrs. Obasanjo’s lawyers, Adeyemi Adegbite however urged the court to disregard the argument of the respondent and postpone the wedding.

In her ruling, Justice Okunnu held that her court being a family court does not have jurisdiction to entertain a matter involving an adult who is over 33 years old.

“On March 27, 2017, I directed counsels to address me on whether this court has jurisdiction to entertain a suit over a child that is an adult.

“This court adjudicates on matters involving children under 18 years and the subject matter in this suit is a 33 years adult.

“I regret to say that this court does not have jurisdiction to hear this matter. Moreover, this suit does not disclose any cause of action.

“This suit is hereby dismissed in its entirety”, Justice Okunnu said.

The judge however noted that the letter purported written to the church conducting the wedding was premised on a wrong notion as she never made a pronouncement concerning the meeting.

Recall that Mrs. Obasanjo sought to stop son’s wedding based on prophesies and warnings she received from men of God to the effect that Olujonwo, her son who turns 34 on June 1, should not do or be involved in any elaborate celebration before his birthday.