The Mabudeje Royal Family of Agbowa-Ikosi, Lagos has urged Lagos State Government to adhere to the decision of the Court of Appeal regarding the vacant stool in the community.

The stool became vacant following the judgment of the Court of Appeal in appeal marked CA/LAG/CU/1104/2023, which sacked Oba Saheed Owolabi Momson Aduloju from the stool and set aside the earlier decision of the lower court delivered on March 23, 2023, on the matter.

Appeal court Justices Muhammed Mustapha, Paul Ahmed Bassi and Ngozika Uwazurunonye Okaisabor unanimously delivered the judgment on May 30, 2025. The family explained that the removed monarch is from the Aduloju family, which has no affiliation or link with them.

Dissatisfied with the Court of Appeal judgment, the removed Monarch filed a motion at the same court of appeal seeking to set aside the judgment based on the non-serving of notice of appeal. He stated that he was not notified of the hearing by the appellants in the case. He also applied for a stay of execution.

But the Mabudeje family, in a statement signed by Prince Adenuga Lateef Kunle, said he failed to appear in court after being served numerous times.
He described his application as one meant to buy time on a stool that does not belong to him or his forebears and get himself re-instated as the Abowa of Agbowa-Ikosi.

“How he will claim non-service of notice of appeal nor notified of the hearing by the appellants for a case that the legal counsel to the Lagos State Governor, Attorney General of Lagos State and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs were always present beats our imagination.

“The judgment of the court of appeal held that the Mabudeje family is entitled to immediately fill the vacant stool of the Abowa of Agbowa-Ikosi kingdom.

“It also made an order compelling the 1st – 5th defendants to call for the claimants’ nominee for the vacant stool of Abowa of Agbowa-Ikosi and install the nominee as the Abowa of Agbowa-Ikosi, Lagos state.

“We have notified him not to parade himself as Oba Abowa of Agbowa-Ikosi anymore.

“The keywords in the above paragraph are ‘vacant stool’ and ‘the installation of the nominee of the claimants’ with immediate effect.
“We reiterate that the leadership of Agbowa-Ikosi Town currently lies with High Chief Wasiu Asodun, the Oluwo of Agbowa-Ikosi and the Regent of Agbowa-Ikosi, hence, the need for all government institutions to accord him necessary respect, recognition and perks of office pending the Installation of the rightful nominee of the Mabudeje Royal Family,” the family declared.

They added that the family is ready to present their sole candidate for the revered stool while waiting for the relevant papers from the Lagos State Government and Ikosi-Ejinrin Local Council Development Area (LCDA) requesting for their nominee for the sake of equity, fairness and justice “as no society or nation where rules, laws and orders are flagrantly abused can progress.”

They called on the government to save Agbowa-Ikosi from the hands of shenanigans and marauders parading themselves as benefactors of a stool and family they have no lineage with.

The law, they said, is never based on sentiment nor whims and caprices, because they cannot create legality out of illegality.
“The government must ensure all principal actors involved in deceiving it to crown the wrong person are dealt with to serve as a deterrent to others.

“The 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration of Lagos State Government is very explicit in mentioning Mabudeje Royal Family as the 4th ruling house in Agbowa-Ikosi and affirmed that we came from Ijebu-Ode just as the 5th ruling house, the Ogunalade Ogunja, was also said to come from Odo-Onosa,” they explained.