Storm rocks Oba of Lagos stool

A storm is raging over the Oba of Lagos stool presently occupied by Oba Rilwan Akiolu. At the centre of the storm is the Akinsemoyin Royal family of Lagos which is accusing the Monarch’s family line of monopolising the stool for centuries. According to findings by Daily Times Nigeria, since inception of Lagos, two royal families have been in existence, rotating the Obaship stool. They are the Akinsemoyin and the Ologunkutere families. The two are said to be the descendants of King Ado, the son of Ashipa who founded Lagos and reigned around1570 . Ado, who reigned after him had three children- Gabaro, Akinsemoyin, both males and Erelu Kuti, female whose son, Ologunkutere started the Ologunkutere family branch since a woman cannot be king. But Gabaro had no surviving child, hence leaving only Akinsemoyin and Ologunkutere to rotate the Obaship of Lagos Stool between them. Akinsemoyin was said to have reigned first between 1704 and 1749, whose reign spanned 45 years. After him came his sister’s son, Ologunkutere, whom Akinsemoyin insisted should reign after him in succession in order to maintain the rotation. However, since the Ologunkutere assumed the stool in 1749, the family has not allowed the Akinsemoyin family near the throne as they have been relegated to the background. The Akinsemoyin family has now moved to challenge the status quo alleging that the incumbent is planning to substitute his branch with the Akinsemoyin family in order to make it extinct. The Ologunkutere or Erelu Kuti family has five branches- Akitoye, Adele-Ajosun, Eshinloku, Olusi and Akiolu, who were the children of Ologunkutere while the Akinsemoyin Ruling House comprises of six branches- Sadeko, Amore/Olukokun, Abisako, Jolasun, Gbosebi, Ambose, Adeyalu and Aderogba. The first major move the Akinsemoyin family made in order to recover their lost stool was shortly before and after the installation of Oba Adeyinka Oyekan, when they protested their being schemed out from the stool for about 200 years. Thus, following the widespread clamour and protest against the injustice, the state government in 1975 set up the Sholanke Tribunal of Inquiry into the Lagos Chieftaincy including the Oba of Lagos Chieftaincy. The tribunal, after its sittings where many people gave evidence submitted its report on 15 January, 1976. In its report, it concluded that there should be two ruling houses in Lagos- the Akinsemoyin and Erelu Kuti, adding that the next ruling house should be Akin­ semoyin since the current one was from Erelu Kuti. Perhaps to further shed more light on the branches, the state government sent the report of the inquiry to another tribunal headed by Justice J. O. Kassim which submitted its report on 19 September 1978 and also recommended six branches – Sadeko, Amore/Olukokun, Abisako, Jolasun, Gbosebi and Aina Egbe who were the children of Akinsemoyin. Erelu Kuti’s branches were given as Akitoye, Adele-Ajosun, Eshinloku, Olusi and Akiolu. The report, as accepted by the state government also indicated that there should be two ruling houses for the Oba of Lagos stool- Akinsemoyin ruling house and Erelu Kuti ruling house and that since the current ruling house is Erelu Kuti, the next ruling house should be Akinsemoyin. The recommendations were placed before the Council of Lagos Chiefs which unanimously accepted and endorsed the report. It was then sent by the Lagos State government to Oba Oyekan as the Chairman of the Lagos Island Chieftaincy Committee before it could be registered. But since then nothing has been heard. After the demise of Oba Oyekan, the Akinsemoyin fam­ ily presented candidates for the throne but before anybody knew anything, Oba Akiolu had been nominated suddenly and taken to Iga Iduganran , on 23 May, 2003 for traditional rites. The Akinsemoyin family then went to court to stop the process demanding that it was its turn to present a candidate for the stool having been shut out for so long. But to preempt them, the state government quickly announced Rilwan Akiolu as the new Oba of Lagos. Promptly, the Akinsemoyin challenged the nomination and the eventual coronation of Akiolu in court and the case ragedin court for some time, raising tension in the city of aquatic splendor. But the tension was doused when the Oniru of Iruland approached the court asking to be allowed to meditate and later brokered a terms of settlement between the two royal families for peace to reign. Part of the terms agreed upon included: that after the reign of Akiolu, the Akinsemoyin family should present the candidate to fill the vacancy of Oba of Lagos. As a result of this agreement, the Akinsemoyin family withdrew the case from court for an amicable settlement. However, since the terms were agreed upon, Oba Akiolu has not signed the agreement for over a year now, raising tension that Akinsemoyin may be shut out again. The family has been in limbo since then. The head of the family, Alhaji Prince S.M. Olowonifela Akinsemoyin told Daily Times Nigeria that the family was at a quandary over the injustice meted out to them pointing out that they might be forced to return to Court. According to him, the Ologunkutere family has been us­ ing power and might to cheat them out of their inalienable right. He assured that they were ready to go to any extent to seek redress. However, when contacted, Oba Akiolu said it was a storm in a tea cup. According to him, they were all one and the same family pointing out that the Akinsemoyin family had nowhere to go but to come to the palace where he said everything will be resolved amicably like brothers.

Posted by Donatus Joshua at 01:35