Leading monarchs in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State yesterday clarified that there was no dispute over the selection of Ibrahim Adebowale Saliu as Oba-elect of Imedu community, contrary to report in a section of the media.
The monarchs, Onibeju of Ibeju , Oba Waliu Olasunkanmi Razaq Oguntolu 1; the Onise of Ise, Oba AbdulGaniyu Adebowale Adegbesan, and the Baale of Imedu, High Chief Mubashiru Sodiq Sangodeyi noted that Imedu has remained peaceful as ever following the unanimous selection of Saliu as the Oba-elect the subsequent approval of his selection by the Ibeju-Lekki Cheiftaincy Committee headed by Oba Oguntolu.
Oba Oguntolu explained that due process was followed in the selection and approval of Saliu as monarch-elect.
He said: “When the Imedu Community led by Baale Mubashiru Sadiq Sangodeyi formally presented Prince Ibrahim Adebowale Saliu Sangodeyi as the Oba-elect of Imedu to the Ibeju-Lekki Chieftaincy Committee, it took us nothing less than three months before granting him approval. We did our due diligence and ensured his selection as Oba-elect was not only unanimous, but also rancour-free.”
Read Also; FULL STEPS: How to escape high electricity bills, switch to gas-powered generators
“We then asked the Oba-elect to visit the palaces of some existing Obas in Ibeju-Lekki for appraisal, which he did. All the Obas he visited, including the Onise of Isel, who is the consenting authority for Imedu gave him a clean bill of health. Even the Oba of Lepia kingdom, Oba Adeleke Akibu Ismaila had initially supported him, before raising an objection for personal reasons later. Oba Ismaila’s objection was based on the erroneous claim that he is the consenting authority for Imedu, whereas he is not,” he added.
Onibeju urged the Lagos state Government, to expressly approve the presentation of staff of office to Prince Ibrahim Adebowale Saliu following his selection and approval as monarch-elect.
He urged the Oba of Lepia and others who submitted petitions to the state government challenging Saliu’s emergence as Oba-elect to allow peace to reign.
In his comments, Oba Adegbesan of Ise Land explained that he is the consenting authority for Imedu , noting that the Oba of Lepia has no such right over the town..
He said: “ By convention, Baale Mubashiru Sangodeyi of Imedu ought to be the Oba of the town since he is still alive, but he has ceded that right to Oba-elect Ibrahim Adebowale Saliu with the consent of his people. ”
n his words, Baale Mubashiru Sodiq Sangodeyi also said that there was ”no tension, dispute or any trouble whatsoever in Imedu over the creation of Obaship stool. Imedu is an ancient town which deserves the stool, and we are all happy that the Lagos State Government is making it happen.
”I have been the Baale of Imedu for over forty years and by right, I should be the Oba, but my health is failing and I have ceded that right to an illustrious and worthy son of Imedu, Prince Ibrahim Adebowale Saliu whom the entire indigenes of Imedu unanimously selected as our Oba-elect without any opposition, following his nomination by my humble self. He was presented to the Ibeju-Lekki Chieftaincy Committee which duly approved his selection after doing its due diligence for three months.”