A prosecution witness in the ongoing legal tussle instituted by Prince Jimmy Adetokunbo Yekini-Goloba challenging the enthronement of Prince Isa Abiodun Shekoni-Faronbi as the Osolo of Isolo, Chief Mojeed Adam, has told a Lagos High Court that two out of the four Kingmakers in Isolo voted in favour of Prince Jimmy Adetokunbo Yekini-Goloba.
Chief Adam, who is the acting Head of the Alagbeji Ruling House of Isolo, while testifying under oath, told the court sitting at Sabo Yaba and presided over by Justice Ezekiel Oluwole Ashade, that one of the kingmakers voted for Prince Shekoni-Faronbi, and another voted for Prince Saheed Ishola Aregbesola.
While being led in evidence by Counsel to the claimant, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun (SAN), Chief Adam said that he became the acting Head of the Alagbeji ruling house due to the sickness of Alhaji Toaheed Faronbi Alado, which has rendered him incapacitated to run the affairs of the family.
He told the court that part of his duties as Acting Head was to summon meetings, settle crisis amongst family members, and adjudicate over other small matters.
Chief Adam said that when the late Osolo of Isolo, Oba Kabiru Agbabiaka, joined his ancestors on April 10th, 2024, he informed the family Head, Alhaji Alado, but that he could not be part of the burial process according to Yoruba tradition owing to him being senior in age to the late Oba Agbabiaka.
‘’After six or seven weeks following the burial of Oba Agbabiaka, I received a letter from Isolo Local Government Development Area that it is the turn of Alagbeji Ruling House to produce the next Osolo of Isolo. I made a photocopy and took the original to Alhaji Alado to inform him that we have been told to provide a candidate to fill the vacant Osolo of Isolo stool.
‘’I called for a meeting of all family members and informed them that it is the turn of Alagbeji ruling House to produce the next Osolo and that interested Princes should signify their intentions.
‘’We asked our Princes to show interest, and we came up with a form for those aspiring Prices to fill. In the form, they are to tell us their names, family backgrounds, educational qualifications, and family history.
‘’At the end of the exercise, a total of 16 Princes filled and returned the forms to us upon the payment of the mandatory N1 million fee that we pegged for all the aspirants.
‘’A 20-member committee; five from each of the four branches of the Alagbeji Ruling House – was constituted Chaired by Honourable Hakeem Muniru. Their mandate was to screen all the 16 aspirants. The committee screened all the aspirants at a different venue aside from where we normally hold our family meetings.
‘’At the end of the screening exercise, the committee submitted its report to the family, and they praised us that we have competent Princes in Alagbeji Ruling House. The family then sent the reports to the Kingmakers with a cover note, but at that stage, one of the Princes, Muizdeen Lawal Arowoye withdrew voluntarily from the race.
‘’The Kingmakers later invited the remaining 15 nominees for screening and Ifa Oracle divination. At that stage, we pleaded with the Kingmakers that the head of each of the four branches that make up Alagbeji Ruling House should be allowed to witness the proceedings.
‘’Our request was approved, and four of us were allowed to witness the process. During the first round of Ifa Divination, five of the princes were rejected. At that stage, one of the Kingmakers, Alhaji Rahman Inufele, asked us to excuse them. Although some of us protested, we later excused them to do their work.
‘’However, after we left, we were later told that the Kingmakers elected to vote in deciding who should be the next Osolo of Isolo. During the voting process, two of the Kingmakers voted for Prince Yekini-Goloba, one voted for Prince Shekoni, and another voted for Prince Saheed Aregbesola.
Chief Adam said the report of the kingmakers was submitted to the Oshodi/Isolo Local Government, and that the Chieftaincy Committee of the Council ratified and later forwarded the report to the Lagos State Government through the office of the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development.
The Defense counsel cross-examined the witness before the case was later adjourned till March 27, 2026, for the continuation of trial.
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