Crisis Over New Agege Regent

Following the demise of monarch of Agege, Oba Lateef Atanda Adams, crisis has erupted over the appointment of a regent, who will assume the oba’s position, pending the appointment of a new monarch.

The crisis erupted when the head of Akinsosonyin family, Alhaji Idowu Sule Osho, performed his duty according to the tradition of appointing a new regent.

After much deliberation, Mr. Shina Badmus, a 55-year old politician and member of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, was selected as the regent to assume the position of the oba.

This appointment did not go down well with the immediate family of the late monarch, who strongly opposed the appointment of a regent by the extended family.

According to them, the regent ought to be the first son of the late monarch, Haruna Adams.

The immediate family of the late oba resolved that if anyone else is appointed, they will deny him access to the palace, which happens to be the property of the late oba and not an official palace.

The head of the Akinsosonyin family, Alhaji Idowu Sule Osho, acted as a mediator and tried to make the late oba’s wife and children see reason why they have to stick to tradition, but all pleas fell on deaf ears, as they insisted the late oba’s son becomes the regent.

This disagreement led to getting a new palace for the appointed regent while the late oba’s son keeps his father’s palace.

Oba Lateef Atanda Adams joined his ancestors in the early hours of Tuesday, 19 April, 2011 in his palace after a brief illness and was buried the following day in his Osobu residence. He was 67.

Born in 1943, the late monarch served in the Nigerian Army and fought during the Nigerian Civil War after which he retired voluntarily and went into business

He was an active politician before becoming a traditional ruler. A former member of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, the oba contested and won election into the Lagos State House of Assembly on the platform of the United Nigeria Congress Party, UNCP.

In 2001, he was installed Olu of Agege Kingdom by the former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

A progressive till death, Oba Akinsosonyin, a first class traditional ruler in the state, was a peacemaker and his reign brought peace to Agege.

He is survived by his wife, Olori Fausat Folashade Adams, children and grandchildren.

—Ibrahim Bakare & Uzebu Christie