Two Thrones, One Royal Bloodline: The Story Behind the Oko Baba Agba–Oworonshoki Chieftaincy Divide
By Bilesanmi Abayomi
The intricate politics surrounding traditional leadership in Lagos State has once again come into focus in Kosofe Local Government Area following the emergence of the Oko Baba Agba Kingdom and the installation of Oba Kabiru Adesegun Bashiru Saliu as its monarch.
Across the traditional divide sits his brother, Oba Babatunde Bashiru Saliu, the reigning Oloworo of Oworonshoki Kingdom. Their emergence on two prominent traditional stools has generated commentary about political influence, traditional jurisdiction and the relationship between the two kingdoms.
But beneath the political calculations and public debates lies a deeper connection: both monarchs are sons of the late Oba Bashiru Olohuntoyin Saliu.
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Rather than representing a complete break in the royal lineage, their emergence on separate thrones can be viewed as an expansion of the influence of the same royal family.
A Royal Stool Tested in Court
The history of the Oworonshoki throne has, however, been marked by legal disputes.
Following the death of Oba Bashiru Olohuntoyin Saliu, competing interests emerged over the vacant Oloworo stool. The dispute eventually resulted in a legal challenge by the Ajisegiri family against the Elebo Royal Family’s claim to the traditional stool.
The dispute was eventually determined by the High Court of Lagos State.
In May 2022, Justice L.A. Layemi of the Ikeja High Court delivered a judgment which, according to the account surrounding the case, relied on the doctrine of stare decisis and previous Supreme Court decisions concerning the applicable customary law.
The judgment reaffirmed the Elebo Ruling Family’s position as the recognised royal family entitled to the Oworonshoki stool under the relevant customary and legal framework.
One Heritage, Two Thrones
The legal history is significant because it provides context for understanding the emergence of the two brothers on the traditional landscape.
Oba Babatunde Bashiru Saliu now occupies the Oloworo stool, while his brother, Oba Kabiru Adesegun Bashiru Saliu, has emerged as the monarch of Oko Baba Agba.
The development may continue to generate political interpretations, particularly given the strategic location of the communities and the close relationship between traditional institutions and grassroots politics in Lagos.
However, the shared ancestry of the two monarchs offers another perspective.
Whatever disagreements may arise between their supporters or whatever political interests surround the two kingdoms, the two monarchs remain sons of the same royal father and part of the same broader lineage.
The story, therefore, may be less about a royal family losing influence and more about a royal heritage assuming new dimensions.
For the Elebo lineage, the emergence of the two monarchs represents a remarkable continuation of a family history that has survived succession disputes, litigation and changing political dynamics.
Two crowns may now stand on different sides of the traditional divide, but the bloodline connecting them remains the same.