Supreme Court Affirms Eda Oniyo As Ilejemeje LG Headquarters, Dismisses Iye-Ekiti Appeal

By Suleiman Aremu | Solaremnews | Thursday, 22 September 2026

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has finally laid to rest the prolonged legal dispute over the headquarters of Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, affirming Eda Oniyo as the constitutionally recognised headquarters of the council.

The apex court, presided over by Justice John Inyang Okoro, on Monday, September 21, 2026, dismissed an appeal filed by Iye-Ekiti challenging the earlier decision to return the headquarters of Ilejemeje Local Government to Eda Oniyo.

The latest judgment effectively reaffirmed the position established by the Supreme Court in its earlier judgment delivered on December 14, 2018, in which the apex court upheld Eda Oniyo as the headquarters of Ilejemeje Local Government.

The dispute dates back several years following the relocation of the local government headquarters from Eda Oniyo to Iye-Ekiti. The relocation was challenged by the Eda Oniyo community, leading to litigation that eventually reached the Supreme Court.

In 2018, the apex court ruled in favour of Eda Oniyo, affirming its status as the headquarters of Ilejemeje Local Government. The latest appeal by Iye-Ekiti sought to challenge the implementation of that earlier judgment.

However, the Supreme Court held that the issue had already been conclusively determined by the apex court and could not be reopened through another appeal.

The Court reportedly frowned at the conduct of the appellants’ counsel, observing that he ought to have advised his clients on the futility of pursuing another litigation over an issue that had already been settled by the Supreme Court in its December 14, 2018 judgment.

The apex court further held that it could not invalidate its own earlier judgment and noted that the decree establishing the local government and providing for its headquarters had become part of the law.

According to the Court, any alteration to that legal position would require an amendment by the National Assembly.

The Supreme Court also noted that the Ekiti State Government had already complied with its 2018 judgment by relocating the headquarters of Ilejemeje Local Government back to Eda Oniyo.

It therefore held that there was no basis for fresh litigation seeking to reopen the matter.

In a significant aspect of the judgment, the Court awarded N10 million in costs in favour of Eda Oniyo.

Prof. Kayode Adetifa represented the Eleda of Eda Oniyo, who was the third respondent in the appeal, while Eniola Arogundade, Director of Appeals in the Ekiti State Ministry of Justice, represented the Ekiti State Government.

The appellants were represented by Taiwo Hassan, SAN, who led other counsel in the matter.

With the latest decision, the Supreme Court has reaffirmed Eda Oniyo’s status as the headquarters of Ilejemeje Local Government Area, bringing another chapter of the long-running legal dispute between Eda Oniyo and Iye-Ekiti to an end.

The judgment also reinforces the principle that decisions of the Supreme Court, as the final court in Nigeria, remain binding unless lawfully altered through the constitutionally prescribed process.