Row over Ikorodu monarch’s selection deepens

Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has been asked not to present staff of office to the new Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi.

Some aggrieved aspirants are claiming that Shotobi’s selection did not follow due process.

In a June 3 letter to Ambode, Prince Tajudeen Odofin and Chief Joseph Aluko said Shotobi should revert to the Odofinship chieftaincy title he was holding before his purported selection.

The petition was copied to the Chairman, Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs; Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Adeniyi Sonariwo; Ranodu of Imota, Oba Ajibade Agoro; Oba of Igbogbo, Johnson Fatola Adeboruwa; Olubeshe of Ibeshe, Oba Richard Ogunsanya; Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs: Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice; Executive Secretary, Ikorodu Local Government; Secretary, Chieftaincy Committee of Ikorodu; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice.

The petitioners noted that since the creation of Ikorodu, an Odofin has never been made Oba and challenged Shotobi and the kingmakers to cite a precedent. They maintained that the process adopted by the kingmakers was alien to the Oba and Chiefs Law of Lagos State.

The petitioners listed 17 reasons why Shotobi cannot be Ayangburen.

They said the May 22 ruling of Justice Akintunde Savage of Ikorodu High Court did not pronounce him the new Ayangburen but only stated that “the Adegorushen branch of Lasunwon Ruling House has the right to present the names of candidates for the stool of obaship”.

The law, they argued, was not allowed to take its course as there were two suits on the Obaship of the town and Shotobi’s selection. The cases, according to them, include the appeal served on Monday, May 25, 2015 in suit number IKD/454/GCM/2014 and a sister case of allegation of fraud against Shotobi in suit number IKD/57/2007.

The petitioners claimed that as Odofin, “Shotobi witnessed the burial rites of the late Ayangburen”, adding: “This is a sacrilege.“As the Odofin, he has performed the traditional rites of lighting the Ofufu; is he going to light another which is sacred?” they asked.

They alleged that Shotobi refused to resign as Odofin as instructed by a committee set up in November 2014 by the Council of Obas and Chiefs Ikorodu Division, before vying for the stool.

“It is also an established fact that he was never selected from the general Lasunwon Ruling House, “hence he does not have the nomination and backing of the whole house”.

“The same Prince Shotobi Kabiru Adewale is one of the kingmakers in which case, he did not resign his position when they were constituted in December 2014, hence he cannot be a judge in his own case. It will be deemed under the law that he influenced the decision of the kingmakers,” the petitioners claimed.

The selection, said they cannot stund because  the Oluwo, who is he head of Osugbo fraternity (kingmakers) had distanced himself from the exercise as “he was never invited nor informed by other kingmakers during the selection process”.

The process of authorising the Oba-elect was not followed as it did not pass through the monthly meeting of the Lagos Council of Obas and Chiefs usually held on the last Thursday of every month, the petitioners added.

They said: “The Council of Obas and Chiefs Ikorodu Judicial Division did not preside or ratify Shotobi’s selection. To the best of our knowledge, the executive process was also boycotted as we have no record to that effect”.

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