Why My Reign Is Being Challenged In Court – Oba Akiolu
Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos Tuesday told a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja High that his selection and ascendancy to the throne is being challenge because he declined the request of claimants in the suit to succeed him.
He told the court at the resumed hearing of the case that his reign as the Oba of Lagos followed the age-long traditional customs and traditions.
The Oba, who was testifying in a suit filed two members of the Lagos royal family, Prince Adedoyin Adebiyi and Prince Rasheed Modile, said by the native law and customs of the state, he is the bonafide Oba of Lagos.
The two men had challenged Akiolu’s installation as the Oba, claiming that he is not entitled to the throne because he is not a member of a ruling royal family by not being a direct descendant of Oba Ado, the first Oba of Lagos.
According to the claimants only members of the Ologun Kutere and Akinsemoyin ruling households were entitled to the throne.
Adebiyi and Modile also alleged that proper customary rules and procedures were not followed when he was appointed as Oba in May 2003
The Governor of Lagos State, the Attorney-General of Lagos State, Prince Babatunde Akitoye and Chief Junaid Eko are joined as respondents in the suit.
Oba Akiolu, while being cross- examined by counsel to the claimants, Babatunde Fashanu (SAN), at the resumed hearing of a suit said “the claimants had wanted to meet me somewhere to sign a document regarding the succession but I refused.
“It is not an individual chair; it belongs to the past, present and future.
“All human beings should not hate each other, we are equal in the eyes of God but not equal in our love for God,” Akiolu said.
He told the court that he has no grudges against individuals who he allegedly disliked by preventing them from succeeding him as the next Oba of Lagos.
Responding to claims that he was elected less than 90-days after the demise of Oyekan contrary to customs, Akiolu said that such a rule does not existent.
“There have been 21 Obas of Lagos before the late Oba Oyekan, in the Lagos State selection of Obas, there is no 90-day rule.
“By the grace of God, I am a lawyer, I am duty bound to speak the truth, I have a duty to assist the court.
“The 90-day rule does not exist in the selection of Obas,” he said.
He disagreed with the claims of Adebiyi and Modile that he was not a descendant of Oba Ologun Kutere, a former Oba of Lagos who reigned from the late 1700s to the early 1800s.
He insisted on being a descendant of the late Oba Ologun Kutere and supported his claim with history of his royal lineage.
According to him, “Oba Ologun Kutere had five children, one of which was Akiolu, Akintoye was the last child and Akiolu and Olusi were the older children.
“Akintoye was three – months old when Oba Ologun Kutere died, I don’t know how old Akiolu was when his father died.
“By the grace of God, I am a direct descendant of Akiolu Ologun Kutere”, he contended.
Asked by Fashanu to state in order of seniority, the children of Oba Ologun Kutere, Akiolu replied that he does not know. “I don’t know, I don’t work at the births and deaths registry. What is important is that Akiolu is the child of Ologun Kutere.
“There have been three members of the Akiolu family who ran for the Oba of Lagos including an Akiolu family member known as Baba Ita-Ado, I can’t remember when he ran and I cannot tell lies.
“All Lagos princes who have no curse placed on them are entitled to run for the kingship, it is however the prerogative of the king makers to choose who will be king”, he maintained adding, ” many are called, few are chosen,” he said.
Akiolu maintained that his being crowned as Oba during his coronation ceremony by a representative of the Eleboro family was not illegal despite the ceremony not being overseen by Chief Eleboro personally.
To buttress his position, he said that one of the former monarchs of Lagos, Oba Adeniji Adele was capped by one Chief Gafar contrary to claims that in the history of Lagos, no Oba has been capped by any person other than Chief Eleboro.
He however contended that he was capped by the Eleboro family.
Justice Candide-Johnson has adjourned the matter till July 5 for continuation of hearing.
