A deepening chieftaincy dispute has emerged within Lagos State, as the Onikoyi Royal Family has accused the state government of unlawfully supporting the installation of Prince Kunle Fafunwa as the next Onikoyi of Ikoyi and Moba Land.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday, the family described the planned installation of Prince Fafunwa as “illegal and contrary to both the Onikoyi Chieftaincy Declaration and the Obas and Chiefs Law of Lagos State.” The family has appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to halt what it termed “a brazen violation of royal succession laws.”

Following the death of Oba Patrick Ibikunle Onikoyi in 2023, the family said it convened in December of that year and, in accordance with the Onikoyi Chieftaincy Declaration of 2006, unanimously selected Prince Abdul Omogbolahan Sulaimon Onikoyi of the Ojulari Branch as the rightful successor. According to the family, the Ojulari Branch is next in line to produce the new monarch, as the previous king emerged from the Fafunwa Branch.

The family stated that formal notifications of Prince Omogbolahan’s selection were sent to the Eti-Osa Local Government Chairman, the Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, and directly to Governor Sanwo-Olu, but that no response was received.

Despite following due process, the family alleges that Prince Kunle Fafunwa — the son of the late Oba Patrick Fafunwa Onikoyi — is “boasting openly” that he will be installed due to political connections allegedly extending to President Bola Tinubu and his family.

“This is an SOS call to His Excellency, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The imposition of Prince Fafunwa defies tradition, law, and equity. The Onikoyi family will not accept it,” the statement read.

The family has also commenced legal proceedings to compel the Lagos State Government to comply with succession laws. A case seeking a mandamus order is currently before Justice Opesanwo at the Lagos State High Court, with the next hearing scheduled for September 18, 2025.

Further complicating the dispute is a recent Lagos High Court judgment delivered on July 3, 2025, which reportedly nullified all appointments made by the late Oba Patrick Fafunwa Onikoyi, declaring his Chiefs-In-Council as illegitimate. The family contends that any support for Prince Fafunwa is a violation of this ruling.

“We believe facts have been misrepresented to the Governor. Prince Fafunwa’s installation would not only be illegal but could trigger unrest across Ikoyi and Moba Land,” the family warned.

The Onikoyi Royal Family maintains that Prince Omogbolahan Abdul Waliu Onikoyi remains the only legitimate candidate for the vacant stool, urging the state government to intervene and prevent what they describe as “an attempt to enthrone illegality.”

The Guardian made attempts to reach out to Prince Fafunwa, Eti-Osa Local Government, and the Office of the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development for comments but couldn’t before publication.