By Bose Adelaja

Immediate past governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola made a startling revelation about a month ago during the presentation of staff of office to the new Ayangburen of Ikorodu town, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi. He stated that the size, population and importance of the town underlined the reason why 24 candidates contested for the coveted stool from which the new king emerged.

The Lasunwon’s compound

He added that it was for this reason that Ikorodu cannot stay for a long time without a king after the demise of Oba Samusdeen Oyefusi who joined his ancestors in August 2014.

On the announcement of his death, the Odofin, who was an assistant and the closest to the late Oba, occupied the position in acting capacity until May 26, 2015 when he was presented the staff of office as the new Oba of Ikorodu.

Protests trail presentation

This presentation generated a lot of controversies on the day in question and is still causing a lot of heat and ripples based on protests by some Ikorodu indigenes.

However, some other indigenes embraced the choice of the new king despite the fact that the protesters claimed that the process was a kangaroo one which was concluded within 24 hours.

The protesters claimed that the procedures leading to the presentation went contrary to the traditional norms of Ikorodu land as they ignored certain laid down steps which are supposed to be taken so that the organisers could quickly achieve their goals.

While the protests were ongoing, the colourfully adorned palace was filled with dignitaries, including state executive members, business men and women. But remarkably, paramount rulers in Ikorodu and its environs were conspicuously absent except the Oba of Egbin Kingdom, Oba Akeem Adeoriyomi Obateru.

On what brought about the protests on that day, some of them responded by saying that it was traditionally unconstitutional for an Odofin to metamorphose to an Oba without relinquishing the position he was occupying on the demise of Oba Oyefusi. The second reason they gave was that the traditional process was not observed, especially the neglect of Ifa oracle which usually guides the town in the process of selection of an Oba in Ikorodu land.

Kingmakers

The kingmakers in Ikorodu are made up of Lisa, Odofin, Solomade, Oponua, Apena, Oluwo, Losi and Aro. These high chiefs are also in charge of traditional rites in the land. But Vanguard Features, VF, gathered that Aro and Losi also joined their ancestors after the demise of Oba Oyefusi,

Occupants of three traditional stools of Oba of Ikorodu, the Otunba and the Odofin are expected by tradition to come from two distinguished ruling families, mainly the Rademos and Lasunwons, a reason for which it is usually rotated between both families. The immediate past Oba was produced by the Rademos, while the Odofin was from the Lasunwons which makes his succession an automatic choice, barring an objection from other members of the Lasunwon family which is the case presently.

The Lasunwons have two lineages, namely the Lambos and Adegoruses and leadership positions are also rotational between them. But the sudden twist brought a change in the system as the present Odofin was accused of not relinquishing his position before decision on it was taken by his kinsmen who alleged that he outsmarted them.

On account of the sudden demise of the family head of the Adegoruse Lasunwon, Olootu Ezekiel Olatunji Shodipo, the head of Lambo Lasunwon family, Olootu Matthew Adetayo Shodipo, now emerged as the head of both lineages.

In a chat with VF, he claimed that the present Oba outsmarted them, a second time he would be doing so since that was the case during the process of nominating candidates for the position of Odofin which also created controversy and led to an arbitration out of which the present Oba and his kinsmen signed the terms of settlement in the Ikorodu Judicial Division with reference number IKD\57\07.

This case was between the Lambo branch of Lasunwon ruling house (the claimants) and the Adegoruse branch of Lasunwon ruling house (the defendants) out of which one of the conditions for settlement was that should there be any vacancy for future contest, he, Kabiru Adewale Shotobi, will not participate and this was agreed upon for peace to reign.

Having done this, he was allowed to occupy the title of Odofin but on August 6, 2014, a condolence letter was acknowledged and this ushered in the process of kinship which officially has come to the turn of Lasunwon family. But to the astonishment of many, according to him, the serving Odofin also signified interest and this was the genesis of the protests by the Lambo faction of the Lasunwon ruling house.

Court ruling favours Chief Kabiru

The new Oba, according to the family head, is not entitled to the Obaship stool as he cannot be the Odofin and at the same time assume the position of the Oba as this contravenes the settlement rules. During the struggle for the Obaship, the matter was again taken to a Ikorodu High Court where Justice Akintunde Savage ruled that reference to suit IKD\57\2007, that Chief Kabiru was truly qualified to contest the stool in which he emerged the Oba-elect.

The verdict gave the state government the right to install and officially present him with the staff of office which coincidentally took place on the same day the ultra-modern palace was commissioned. But speaking about the development, the Baale of Ojogbe in Ikorodu, Chief Olukayode Olomo, said the Lasunwons goofed by presenting Kabiru as one of the candidates.

‘’It was a calculated attempt to retain the post of Odofin while assuming the position of Oba, forgetting that nobody can eat his cake and have it. The issue would have been that the Oba is running helter-skelter to secure the position but the internal crises have given room for him to get it on a platter of gold. The candidates were asked to pick the chieftaincy forms after which the sum of N1.5 million was paid to the family’s account.

The procedures leading to the nomination were wrong as they did not give room for the oracles to speak and nominate a candidate as the ruling house presented 24 candidates who were scrutinised one after the other,” he informed. VF gathered that the institutional beaded crown of Ikorodu was traced to April 1950 and began with a journey which involved seven men:

Pa Yaya Onomo Bamisendu, Pa Olaitan Animashaun, Chief Simeon Babafemi Shobowale (the Lisa of Ikorodu), Pa Sanusi Soyibo, Chief Salami Shonubi (the Aro of Ikorodu), Pa Adaran (Ogbeni odi-Ijebu-Ode) and Pa Alimi Sotonwa Ogbe who brought the crown from Ijebu-Ode in the era of the Oloja of Ikorodu, Oba Adenaike Alagbe.

Cancellation of Isemo festival

The presentation of staff of office has not only generated a lot of controversies in the town, for the first time in the annal of the ancient town, the annual Isemo billed for Monday June 1, 2015 was cancelled as some indigenes claimed the new Oba was not entitled or qualified to organise it.

VF gathered that in the recent past, traditional titles in Ikorodu have been characterised by moves by contestants to outsmart or outwit one another, with money sometimes playing an important role in swaying the choice of who eventually emerges. This is unlike what obtained in the past.

Meanwhile, protests are still being staged in the community. But these have not stopped the new king from undergoing traditional rites in the Ipebi (a preparatory traditional place for official coronation). As controversies still rage in the town, many of the indigenes claim that the Oba do not belong to the proper class and is therefore not entitled to the stool. Others, however, continue to express the belief that he is the most qualified among the contestants.

Speaking with VF, the chief in charge of traditional rulers for Lisa of Ikorodu, Chief Zaccheus Oludele Odusoga, claimed that due process was followed and that the new Oba is the people’s choice as the selection of the candidate is the sole responsibility of the kingmakers. And they have carried out this function based on the candidates presented to them by the ruling family.

He said the final selection is usually done by the kingmakers who also exercise their own traditional responsibilities. He prayed for longer life for the king. Both the Apena and Solomade refused to comment on the development when VF visited the palace on two occasions, while effort to reach Oba Kabiru proved abortive as he was said to be undergoing the traditional rites.

When he completes the traditional rites and he is coronated, Oba Kabiru will be the 20th monarch of the land. He is an electrical engineer by profession and was a former employee of Larfage Cement Company.