AN Appeal Court sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, yesterday affirmed the existence of two ruling houses to the Olofa of Offa stool.

The two ruling houses are Anilelerin and Olugbense.

The appellate court had in July last year declared the selection and installation of Anilelerin candidate, Alhaji Mohammed Mufutau Gbadamosi as the Olofa of Offa, as illegal, null and void.

Besides, the court set aside the aspect of the 2012 judgment of the state High Court sitting in Offa, Offa Local Council, which dismissed the counter-claim of Anilelerin Ruling House as statute-barred.

The trial court had then declared that the selection and installation of Alhaji Gbadamosi as the Olofa of Offa was legal.

The Anilelerin Ruling House, in a cross appeal, had approached the court praying it to declare that there is no rotation to Olofa's stool; a declaration that only Anilelerin Ruling House exists and a declaration that the Kwara State Gazette of 1970 is not statute-barred.

The gazette establishes that there are two ruling houses in Offa.

But in a unanimous judgment, the three man panel, led by Justice A. G. Mshelia, said the "manner in which the learned trial judge handled the counter-claim was inequitable and perverse."

Other members of the panel include Justices A. Jauro and R.N. Pemu.

In the judgment, which was read by Justice Pemu, added that "the aspect of the judgment that says that the counter-claim is statute-barred is hereby set aside."

On the gazette, marked (Exhibit J) which was made by the military government of Kwara State in 1970, the appellate court said that that had already been decided in the earlier judgment of this same court.