Oshodi stool: Royal family accuses LASG of partisanship

The Olushi Onigbesa Royal Family has accused the Lagos State Government of partisanship in its support of rival claimants to the Oshodi traditional stool and alleged attempts to install another Oba. The family maintains that a series of court decisions have upheld a tribunal recommendation in its favor. The dispute centers around the Standing Tribunal of Inquiry into Chieftaincy Matters, chaired by retired Justice A.O.

Silva, which completed its proceedings in 2012 and submitted its findings and recommendations to the Lagos State Government. The family claims that the tribunal recommended them as the legitimate claimants to the Oba of Oshodi position. They argue that rival families have unsuccessfully attempted to overturn this recommendation through legal channels.

The royal family specifically challenged a letter from the Lagos State Attorney General, dated October 20, 2022, which recognized the Oshodi and Arota families as entitled to produce the Oba of Oshodi. They allege that this position was based on a misunderstanding of earlier court judgments concerning a 206-acre parcel of land in Oshodi, which the family maintains pertains only to land ownership, not traditional rulership.

The royal family asserts that Oba Olushi Onigbesa, who founded over 1,000 acres including Oshodi and neighboring settlements, granted land to Oshodi Tapa for farming but did not confer traditional rulership upon him. They rely on historical documents, including judgments, colonial correspondence, land agreements, and intelligence reports, to support their claim.