The Onikoyi royal family has criticised the Dosunmu branch over its purported selection of another Oba-elect as against Prince Abdul Waliu Oladimeji Sulaimon.
The family said it was disheartening and preposterous that the Dosunmu branch, ‘out of desperation and disdain for rule of law’, presented two factional candidates for the stool’. It urged the public and Lagos State government to discountenance the said candidate.
A statement by Prince Abdul Akeem Animashaun, for the family, reads: “The Onikoyi Royal family maintains that Prince Abdul Waliu Omogbolahan Oladimeji Sulaimon remains the authentic candidate duly selected in accordance with the Onikoyi Chieftaincy Declaration, 2006, which has been pronounced by various courts of competent jurisdiction as a subsidiary legislation validly made and registered as the recognised guideline upon which selection into the stool of the Onikoyi of Ikoyi and Moba Land shall be governed.”
The statement also accused the Dosunmu branch of having a penchant for ‘illegality, deluded grandeur and conduct likely to cause breach of peace’, and called on the Eti-Osa Local Government Chieftaincy Committee and the Lagos State government to stand on the side of the law ‘as whatever is done contrary to the provisions of the 2006 Declaration would amount to an illegality and a smear on the integrity of the executive arm of government’.
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The statement added: “The attention of the Onikoyi Royal Family has been drawn to recent publications alleging the emergence of two different candidates from the Dosunmu branch as the Oba -elect of the vacant Onikoyi stool. The family urges the Eti-Osa Local Government, Eti-Osa Local Government Chieftaincy Committee, Lagos State government and public to discountenance the charade that led to the emergence of the two factional candidates (Prince Ganiyu Onikoyi and Prince Maiyegun), as their emergence cannot stand the test of any legal scrutiny. The Onikoyi Royal family maintain and states without any fear of equivocation that Prince Abdul Waliu Omogbolahan Oladimeji Sulaimon remains the authentic candidate duly selected in accordance with the Onikoyi Chieftaincy Declaration, 2006 still in force and has been pronounced by various courts of competent jurisdiction as a subsidiary legislation validly made and registered as the recognized guideline upon which selection into the stool of the Onikoyi of Ikoyi & Moba Land shall be governed.
The law stands and the position of the law is that the Onikoyi Family consist of One ruling House and 10 branches, with the Dosunmu branch being one of the branches. The entire Onikoyi Royal Family are resolute and firmly restates their position that the law is sacrosanct and must be followed to the latter. Any attempt to subvert the position of the law is intended to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere of the Ikoyi and Moba land and environs as he who comes to equity must come in clean hands.
“We also appeal to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to be courageous to do what the law says and not to succumb to the pressure and whims of political actors. We must defend our democracy by first defending our laws and protecting our traditional institutions. We must distance ourselves from selfish interest of a very few with questionable historical affiliations to the Onikoyi Royal family .
Finally, We appeal to the Oba of Lagos who is the permanent chairman of the Obas & Chiefs Council in Lagos State and a repository of knowledge of the history of the Onikoyi Royal Family and Lagos at large, to lend his voice and credence to the position of the law as we cannot allow constant degradation of our traditional institutions and most importantly the sanctity of our laws if we must progress as a nation.