 |
| Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu |
The Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on Friday dismissed a 16-year-old lawsuit seeking to dethrone Rilwan Akiolu as the Oba of Lagos.
Justice Babajide Candide-Johnson dismissed the suit for lacking in merit.
The judge held that Akiolu’s enthronement was “legitimate, lawful and valid.”
The suit, numbered LD/1215/2003, was filed in 2003 by Prince Sammy Adedoyin Adebiyi and Prince Rasheed Modile, who asked the court to declare null and void Akiolu’s appointment and installation as the Oba of Lagos.
The claimants noted that under the Oba of Lagos State Customary Law, only two ruling houses, namely: Akinsemoyin and Ologunkutere, were entitled to present candidates for enthronement as the Oba of Lagos.
They were, however, contended that it was not the turn of the Ologunkutere to produce the Oba after the demise of Oba Adeyinka Oyekan II.
They argued that since it was the Ologunkutere Ruling House which produced Oyekan, it was the turn of the Akinsemoyin Ruling House to produce his successor.
Akiolu is said to have hailed from a branch of the Ologunkutere Ruling House.
Joined as respondents in the suit were the Governor of Lagos State, Attorney-General of Lagos State, Prince Babatunde Akitoye and Chief Junaid Eko.
In his judgment on Friday, Justice Candide-Johnson held that the claimants failed to prove their case.
The judge held, “The claimants claimed the Akiolu branch of the Ologunkutere line has gone into extinction. The third defendant (Akiolu) in his evidence was able to trace the lineage of his stool.
“The evidence of the claimants’ witnesses were full of contradictions.
“From the totality of the evidence before the court, I hereby pronounce that His Royal Majesty Oba Rilwan Akiolu is the valid legitimate Oba of Lagos.
“The case of the claimants is hereby dismissed.”
Justice Babajide Candide-Johnson dismissed the suit for lacking in merit.
The judge held that Akiolu’s enthronement was “legitimate, lawful and valid.”
The suit, numbered LD/1215/2003, was filed in 2003 by Prince Sammy Adedoyin Adebiyi and Prince Rasheed Modile, who asked the court to declare null and void Akiolu’s appointment and installation as the Oba of Lagos.
The claimants noted that under the Oba of Lagos State Customary Law, only two ruling houses, namely: Akinsemoyin and Ologunkutere, were entitled to present candidates for enthronement as the Oba of Lagos.
They were, however, contended that it was not the turn of the Ologunkutere to produce the Oba after the demise of Oba Adeyinka Oyekan II.
They argued that since it was the Ologunkutere Ruling House which produced Oyekan, it was the turn of the Akinsemoyin Ruling House to produce his successor.
Akiolu is said to have hailed from a branch of the Ologunkutere Ruling House.
Joined as respondents in the suit were the Governor of Lagos State, Attorney-General of Lagos State, Prince Babatunde Akitoye and Chief Junaid Eko.
In his judgment on Friday, Justice Candide-Johnson held that the claimants failed to prove their case.
The judge held, “The claimants claimed the Akiolu branch of the Ologunkutere line has gone into extinction. The third defendant (Akiolu) in his evidence was able to trace the lineage of his stool.
“The evidence of the claimants’ witnesses were full of contradictions.
“From the totality of the evidence before the court, I hereby pronounce that His Royal Majesty Oba Rilwan Akiolu is the valid legitimate Oba of Lagos.
“The case of the claimants is hereby dismissed.”
In this article: