Kayode Fasua
The riveting crisis over the Obaship stool in Ikeja community of Lagos State took another dimension at the weekend as the Oba-elect, Prince Samsondeen Adeleye, accused authorities of Ikeja Local Government Area of slowing down the process of his installation to please vested interests.
Adeleye was nominated Oba-elect by the community’s kingmakers headed by a former Deputy Governor of the state, late Chief Rafiu Jafojo, five years ago.
Expressing frustration in a chat with THISDAY, Adeleye said information at his disposal indicated that the state government was willing to install him but that some highly placed politicians led by a former female commissioner in the state, who hails from Ikeja, were making negative recommendations to the state government.
According to him, “The truth of the matter is that the kingmakers, about five years ago, sent my name to the Ikeja Local Government Area as Oba-elect after having met all the conditions under native rites and tradition, but this former female commissioner has been frustrating my installation.
“It’s also disappointing that she has a willing tool in the current leadership of Ikeja LGA at a time the state government is ready to implement the recommendation of the kingmakers.
They renewed their war against me when the state government invited me to a public function in my capacity as the Oba-elect recently.
“I am surprised that the local government chairman can look on while this injustice is taking place.”
Complementing him, a leading kingmaker in Ikeja, the Eletu Idibo, Chief Maruf Balogun, insisted that Adeleye remained the kingmakers’ choice.
Speaking with THISDAY, Balogun said: “We made our choice of him known about five years ago after having consulted the Ife oracle which approved of his choice, and he was the only prince from the next ruling house who wrote us a letter indicating his interest in the throne.”
Balogun described as sheer nonsense, a statement credited to one Chief Lolade Shonibare, that the secretary to the kingmakers, Chief Olufemi Titi-Thomas, had been sacked, saying: “Titi-Thomas remains our secretary and the Ashipa of Ikejaland.”
All efforts to reach the Ikeja LGA chairman proved abortive while several calls made to the phone of the council’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Kumbi Odunfa, at press time, were not answered.
