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 Isolo Throne: Assembly Intervention Suffers Setback

. As Committee Advises Litigants To Withdraw Case From Court

The intervention of the Lagos State House of Assembly in the lingering Isolo throne crisis has suffered setback.

The Snoop gathered yesterday that the House Committee on Local Government Administration, Chieftaincy Matters and Rural Development which is tasked with the responsibility of unravelling the selection process of a new Oba could not proceed with its deliberation upon revelation that the matter is currently a subject of litigation at the Ikeja Division of the Lagos High Court.

Committee Chairman, Hon Sanni Okanlawon who briefed the Kingmakers expressed his disappointment that the committee's commitment to resolve the matter is being hampered by litigation.

He reportedly promised his committee would reach out to litigants with a view to advising them to withdraw the matter from the court as a first step towards resolving the matter.

He maintained the committee cannot continue with the matter for fear of prejudice adding that once the matter is free of litigation, it then become easy to intervene.

Hon. Sanni said the invitation of the Kingmakers to appear before the committee came in response to a petition written by right aggrieved candidates to the vacant throne of Isolo Kingdom.

The petitioners had alleged lack of transparency in the selection process; no consultation of candidates before the rumoured selection and non-adherence to traditional rites and due consultation.

The petitioners therefore request the House to disregard the selected candidate; the Kingmakers should retract statement suggesting a candidate had been selected even as a fresh selection process involving all the candidates should be conducted.

The petitioners include Saheed Adekunle Aregbe, Shakiru Adeola Sadiq, Alhaji Kolawole Goloba, Prince Kazeem Faronbi, Chief Ganiu Mustapha O, Prince Yahya Lawal-Arowooye, Aremo Abeeb Adeshina Faronbi and Moroof Ajala Goloba.

Dr Adesegun Agbabiaka who led the Kingmakers to the Assembly said he embraced any peaceful move to resolve the matter even as he posited that the Kingmakers had done a thorough job in accordance to the guidelines of the Lagos State Chieftaincy Law.

It would be recalled that one of the aggrieved candidates Prince Saheed Adekunle Aregbe and some members of the Alagbeji Royal Family had sued the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olushola Sanwo-olu and seven other defendants including Prince Jimmy Adetokunbo Yekini-Goloba over an alleged shoddy selection process to the throne of Isolo Kingdom.