Onikoyi of Ikoyi Vacant Stool: Prince Kunle Fafunwa Allegedly Lobbies Seyi Tinubu

MICHAEL AKINOLA

Despite the fact that the Muti family arm of the Onikoyi of Ikoyi and Imoba lands in Lagos State have announced their choice to the vacant stool of the kingdom, Prince Ibikunle Fafunwa-Onikoyi, the son of the late king, Oba Ibikunle Fafunwa-Onikoyi continues to make frantic efforts to have himself installed as the next king.

PMEXPRESS gathered that Prince Fafunwa-Onikoyi has intensified effort to lobby the power-that-be as he was spotted in the Aso Rock Villa last weekend to meet with Mr. Seyi Tinubu, son of the president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

A Presidential Villa source told our correspondent that the focus of the meeting was on the Obaship issue of the vacant Onikoyi stool, on which Prince Fafunwa-Onikoyi is not favoured.

The source disclosed that the Prince departed the Villa in high spirit, signifying that he must have had some form of assurance of Seyi Tinubu’s support.

However, on Sunday, 10 December, 2023, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and long-term supporter of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Prince Abdul Waliu Oladimeji Sulaiman was presented by the Muti arm of the Onikoyi Family as the preferred Onikoyi of Ikoyi and Imoba Land Oba-elect.

The Oba-elect selection took place at the old palace in Idumota, Lagos Island, instead of the new palace at Parkview, Ikoyi because Prince Kunle Fafunwa-Onikoyi allegedly locked the family out and prevented them from entering the palace.

The family had earlier scheduled the selection meeting for Saturday, December 9, 2023 but because of the standoff with the Prince they had to shift it till next day at the old palace or Iga.

A source within the Onikoyi Royal family circles claimed that Prince Fafunwa-Onikoyi has too much stake riding on the Obaship as he has allegedly got in too deep in many deals which the family must not have full details about.

His desperation, according to family sources, is an alleged bid to cover his ass.

The source revealed that Prince Fafunwa-Onikoyi has suddenly acquired huge wealth running into billions of Naira which can’t be traced to any known source apart from his alleged habits of selling large hectares of family lands without the consent of other members.

During the burial of the late monarch, the Prince allegedly refused the traditional cult group (Alawo) access to the palace to give his father a final ritual rite, apart from shutting out other members of the Family from the palace.

Earlier in July, Vanguard newspaper reported how Chief Magistrate O. O. Oshin of Igbosere chief magistrate’s court in Lagos, ordered the arrest of Prince Ibikunle Fafunwa for contempt of court, having flouted an order issued by her court on March 21, 2013.

Prince Fafunwa-Onikoyi appears to be playing his last trump card, leveraging on his closeness to the Tinubus and his visit to the Villa is an indication that he might just have an ace up his sleeve.