Members of the Onikoyi Royal Family of Ikoyi and Imoba land in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos State, on Monday staged a protest against the installation of Prince Kunle Fafunwa as the new Oba Onikoyi.
Carrying placards, the protesters urged the state government to halt Fafunwa’s installation, describing it as a violation of the family’s succession traditions.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Adesoji Onikoyi said the appointment was “disappointing and insulting,” arguing that the Onikoyi Chieftaincy Declaration of the 2006 Gazette requires the throne to rotate among the family’s ten branches. He maintained that Sulaimon Waliu Omogbolahan was the rightful Oba-elect under the agreed succession order.
According to him, Fafunwa, son of the immediate past Onikoyi, was imposed in breach of these guidelines. “This decision undermines our customs and risks creating further division within the family,” he said, stressing that the Ojubiari branch was next in line after the Fafunwa lineage.
Other family members, including Mrs. Faozeat Ekundayo and General Secretary Oyebode Shadeko, also called on the Lagos State Government to respect the Gazette and uphold the integrity of the traditional institution.
Responding to the protest, Hon. Rauf Sulaimon, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, assured that the grievances would be reviewed. He promised a meeting between lawmakers and the royal family to work toward a resolution.
