Leading monarchs in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State, on Friday, clarified that there was no dispute over the selection of Ibrahim Adebowale Saliu as Oba-elect of Imedu community, contrary to reports in a section of the media.

The monarchs, Onibeju of Ibeju, Oba Waliu Olasunkanmi Razaq Oguntolu 1; the Onise of Ise, Oba AbdulGaniyu Adebowale Adegbesan, and the Baale of Imedu, High Chief Mubashiru Sodiq Sangodeyi noted that Imedu has remained peaceful as ever following the unanimous selection of Saliu as the Oba-elect by the Ibeju-Lekki Chieftaincy Committee headed by Oba Oguntolu.

Oguntolu explained that due process was followed in the selection and approval of Saliu as monarch-elect.

He said: “When the Imedu community led by Baale Mubashiru Sadiq Sangodeyi formally presented Prince Ibrahim Adebowale Saliu Sangodeyi as the Oba-elect of Imedu to the Ibeju-Lekki Chieftaincy Committee, it took us nothing less than three months before granting him approval.

We did our due diligence and ensured his selection as Oba-elect was not only unanimous, but also rancour-free.

“We then asked the Oba-elect to visit the palaces of some existing Obas in Ibeju-Lekki for appraisal, which he did. All the Obas he visited, including the Onise of Ise, who is the consenting authority for Imedu, gave him a clean bill of health. Even the Oba of Lepia Kingdom, Oba Adeleke Akibu Ismaila, had initially supported him, before raising an objection for personal reasons later. Oba Ismaila’s objection was based on the erroneous claim that he is the consenting authority for Imedu, whereas he is not,” he added.

Onibeju urged the Lagos State government to expressly approve the presentation of staff of office to Prince Ibrahim Adebowale Saliu following his selection and approval as monarch-elect.

He urged the Oba of Lepia and others who submitted petitions to the state government challenging Saliu’s emergence as Oba-elect to allow peace to reign.

In his comment, Oba Adegbesan of Ise Land explained that he is the consenting authority for Imedu, noting that the Oba of Lepia has no such right over the town.