By Temitope Atolagbe

LAGOS — THE Eletu Odibo Chieftaincy Family of Lagos Island has urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to order Ismail Ayeni to stop parading himself as the Eletu Odibo-elect of Lagos State.

The accredited representatives of the Eletu Odibo Chieftaincy family, in a letter, faulted the imposition of the candidate and urged the governor to restrain Ayeni from parading himself as Eletu Odibo.

The family in a petition by their counsel, Mr A. Fatoki, said: “This is so because of the importance of the Eletu Odibo to the Obaship position in the Isale-Eko tradition. It should be noted that 14 branches make up the Eletu Odibo chieftaincy family of Lagos Island.

“The practice in the family of electing any member to the enviable position of the Eletu Ocdibo is usually for all the accredited representatives to pick the elected member after the usual practice of the selection through the popular Ifa corpus.

“This is contrary to the sole annoying exercise put up by one single individual i.e. Ologun-Ide of Lagos who though belonged to one of the 14 branches but did not have the blessing of all other family members, including the Olori Ebi to do what he has purportedly done.”

The Eletu Odibo chieftaincy family reiterated that Ayeni was not a blood member of their family, noting that he is an ‘impostor’.

“The purported choice of the imposter is against the clear provision of the extant laws of Oba and Chief Laws of Lagos State. This should not be allowed to stand as by section, a non-blood member of any Chieftaincy or Obaship family is prohibited from being chosen for that revered office.

“We, therefore, use this medium to once again appeal and urge you to halt this being perpetrated against the family for the sake of the preservation of the age-long tradition of the family and for the sake of not rubbishing the all-important Obaship of Lagos, because of the centrality of the Eletu Odibo towards the installation of any Oba of Lagos.

“Thus, we urge your government to wade into this bizarre state of things by placing a final seal on the obnoxious and unsupported conduct of the said Ayeni.”