Onikoyi Obaship tussle: Dosunmu Royal House Insists there are only two Ruling Houses

The Dosunmu Royal House of the Onikoyi of Ikoyi and Imoba (now Lekki) has insisted that there are two ruling houses entitled to the throne of the Oba Onikoyi of Ikoyi and Imoba, namely; the Muti Royal Family and the Dosunmu Royal Family, contrary to widespread design of 10 ruling houses.

The Royal family made this known at a press briefing on Saturday at the Holy Cross School Complex, Lagos Island, Lagos, with a huge crowd of the family members in attendance.

According to the Acting Olori Ebi, who spoke on behalf of the family, it is the turn of the Dosunmu Royal House to produce the next Oba after the demise of Late Oba Ibikunle Fafunwa-Onikoyi as provided by law and several court rulings.

In the statement made available to the press, they acknowledge the passing of the late king and commiserate with his immediate family while wishing him peaceful eternal rest

The Statement reads, “We, members of the Dosunmu Onikoyi Royal Family consider it necessary to respond to, and refute the public notices recently authored and published by the Muti branch of Onikoyi Royal Family.

Particularly the public notice published in Punch Newspaper of 1st December 2023 and signed by Otunba Abdul Ganiu Kola Onikoyi for the Muti branch of Onikoyi Royal Family.

There is need to put the records straight to avoid misinformation and perpetration of falsehood. The truth which has been affirmed and reaffirmed historically and legally is that Onikoyi Royal Family consists of TWO RULING HOUSES; namely MUTI and DOSUNMU ruling houses. This assertion was affirmed by the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the case of AGBETOBA&ORDS Vs. LAGOS STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL&ORDS reported in 1991 4 NWLR part 188.

“Further, in 2004, the Standing Tribunal of lnquiry into Chieftaincy Matters in Lagos State chaired by Hon. Justice A.O. Silva after exhaustive deliberations and various submissions by legal representatives of both MUTI and DOSUNMU ruling houses of the family, including the late Chief Patrick Ibikunle Fafunwa, as he then was; found and recommended to the Lagos State Government that Onikoyi Chieftaincy is deserving and be elevated to OBASHIP.

“It was further recommended by Justice A.O. Silva Tribunal of Inquiry that Chief Patrick Ibikunle being the incumbent Chief Onikoyi of Lagos be crowned as the first Oba Onikoyi of Ikoyi and Imoba and that it shall be the turn of DOSUNMU Ruling House to ascend the Obaship stool after the tenure of Oba Ibikunle Fafunwa.

“The above recommendations of the Tribunal of Inquiry was accepted and implemented by the Lagos State Government.

“We are aware of the defective 2006 Declaration being flaunted by Otunba Ganiyu Onikoyi. We need to state unequivocally that the defective Declaration of 2006 was surreptitiously procured while they were unlawfully alienating family properties and the Court of Appeal in suit CA/L/697/2012: ALHAJI R.O. ONIKOYI & ORDS Vs. STERLING ASSETS MANAGEMENT & TRUSTEES LTD., CHIEF PATRICK IBIKUNLE FAFUNWA-ONIKOYI &ORDS refused to admit the defective Declaration in evidence, just as the High Court refused to admit same.

“Needless to say that the judgement of Supreme Court that affirmed the TWO RULING HOUSES (MUTI and DOSUNMU) was mischievously concealed from the Government of the day so as to procure the 2006 Declaration.

The legal position is that once a matter has been litigated up to Supreme Court and a final judgement delivered, no other court in the land can revisit the matter. In this case, the subject matter is the same; the parties are the same; hence the legal principle of Res judicata applies. There must be an end to litigation; the Supreme Court judgement has therefore put a final stop to the question of how many ruling houses we have in Onikoyi Royal Family.

“Finally, the Tribunal of Inquiry of Justice Silva recommended unambiguously that it is the turn of DOSUNMU RULING HOUSE to ascend the throne after the tenure of King Patrick Ibikunle Fafunwa.
The Lagos State Government and members of the general public are hereby duly informed that members of the DOSUNMU RULING HOUSE of Onikoyi Royal Family are in the processing of selecting a suitable candidate to be crowned as Oba Onikoyi of Ikoyi and lmoba.”

The family made available many documents consisting of several court rulings, including a Supreme Court judgement in favour of their claims.

The family maintained that the Supreme Court judgement made null and void the establishment of ten royal families and the associated succession plan in the following order: 1. Fafunwa as number one, 2. Ojubira, 3 Kubayije, 4 Ilumo, 5 Idewu, 6, Kugbamola, 7 Aluko Ajose. 8 Dosumer Ajiwa 9 Adelo, 10. Dosumu.

“You can see their mischief in the succession plan as they put Dosumu as number 10. The remaining 9 so-called, illegal Royal Houses were carved out of the Muti Royal House to perpetrate themselves on the throne. We, the Dosunmu Royal House stands on the Supreme Court judgement. After Supreme Court, there’s no higher power in the land. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is our president today by rule of law after being the people’s choice. After the Supreme Court judgement all warring parties rested their cases. The Muti family should learn from this and rest their intention to ascend the throne after the demise of one of theirs. It is the turn of Dosunmu House,” says Ayo Onikoyi, one of the family members.

“We are appealing to our leaders, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos and other relevant elders in Lagos save Ikoyi and Imoba land from a reign of injustice and anarchy and ensure that the Supreme Court judgement is accented to by the Muti family,” he added