A deepening kingship dispute in the Abule Ado kingdom of Lagos State has led to contempt of court proceedings against key government officials, including the state’s Attorney General, for allegedly violating a court order that halted actions toward installing a new monarch.
The Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), along with the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Bolaji Kayode Robert, and the Executive Chairman of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government, Dr Valentine Oluwaseyi Buraimoh, are at the center of the legal storm. They, along with several others, are accused of disobeying a court directive issued on January 15, 2025.
Justice Mathias Dawodu of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, had ordered all parties involved in the kingship tussle to maintain the status quo pending the hearing of a motion for interlocutory injunction. The order came in response to a suit filed by Alhaji Rafiu Owolabi Teslimi and nine others representing the Sanusi Olawumi family of Abule Ado.
The claimants argue that their family, tracing ancestry to the original settler and first Baale of Abule Ado, Oteyi Odan, holds the rightful claim to the vacant stool. They maintain that the kingship is not rotational and should remain within their lineage.
Despite the court’s order, the claimants allege that on May 19, 2025, the defendants began the process of installing a new king—an act they say directly violates the ruling. In response, the claimant's lawyer, Mr L.A. Yusuf, filed a Form 48—Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Court Order—on April 8, 2025, warning the defendants of possible imprisonment for contempt.
Also listed in the proceedings are members of the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Chieftaincy Committee and individuals allegedly involved in the disputed installation: Prince Eniola Adeshina Muftau Ado, Babatunde Semi Bakare, Sulaiman Surajudeen Aro, and Alhaji Nurudeen Abu.
In a 91-paragraph affidavit submitted with the motion, Alhaji Teslimi outlined the family’s historical claim and detailed the legal steps they’ve taken. A Memorandum of Obaship was submitted to the authorities in May 2024 and followed by another in September. While the 1st to 4th defendants acknowledged the memoranda, the 5th to 8th defendants allegedly refused to respond.
The claimants further argue that there is no existing registered declaration governing the Abule Ado chieftaincy, allowing the court to interpret customary law and rule on rightful succession.
“Government records and community acknowledgement have consistently upheld our family's claim to the kingship,” the affidavit asserts.
The court is expected to resume hearings on the matter soon. Meanwhile, the claimants insist that unless the officials obey the court’s directive, they will pursue full legal measures, including potential imprisonment for contempt.
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