and the court affirmed that what is known to the country’s constitution is Osun State.

Justice Mathias Agboola, while delivering a judgement in a case brought before it by a lawyer, Mr Kanmi Ajibola against the state government over a personal tax of N5.3m that the state Internal Revenue Service asked him to pay, said it amounted to ‘artistic colouration’ when ‘Osun State’ is referred to ‘State of Osun.’

Ajibola had approached the court to seek redress over tax demanded from him which he said was punitive because he usually held opposing views to those of the immediate past governor, Rauf Aregbesola.

The lawyer also urged the court to declare the law upon which the tax was based as illegal since it was a law made by ‘The House of Assembly of State of Osun,’ a body unknown to the constitution.

Defence counsel, M. Popoola had asked that the case be struck out for lack of jurisdiction.

In his judgement, Justice Agboola said lawyers should be wary of legal implications of referring to Osun State as State of Osun.

It will be noted that the then Governor of the state, who is the current Minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola changed the name of the state from Osun state to state of Osun, a decision that has always been controversial since then.