In a dramatic legal showdown, the Kankanbina ruling house of Ogere-Remo has filed a lawsuit against the Ogun State government, claiming the wrongful selection and imposition of Oba James Obafemi Saliu as the Ologere of Ogere-Remo. The family is seeking justice over what they describe as an unjust process that bypassed their rightful claim to the throne.
The lawsuit, filed in May 2023, will be heard in the Ogun State High Court in Sagamu on May 21, 2025. The defendants in the case include the Ogun State government, led by Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Chairman of Ikenne Local Government, and several other key officials, including the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiu Hamzat, and the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Mr. Sina Ogungbade, SAN.
According to the Kankanbina ruling house, the selection of Oba Saliu, who hails from the Aremo and Gushemade families, was flawed. The family claims that it was their turn to provide the next monarch and that they had nominated Prince Olugbenga Adewoju for the position. However, the Ikenne Local Government Chairman allegedly rejected their nomination and instead arranged a meeting that led to the selection of Oba Saliu, a candidate not from the Kankanbina family.
The plaintiffs argue that this process violated the customs and traditions of the Kankanbina Ruling House, as well as Ogun State’s chieftaincy laws. They further contend that despite their protest against the selection, Oba Saliu was installed as the Ologere on April 25, 2023, before a scheduled meeting between the parties could take place. The claimants also allege that the Commissioner for Local Government, Ganiu Hamzat, advised them to go to court after the installation had already occurred.
In their lawsuit, the family is requesting the court to declare that the Kankanbina Ruling House has the exclusive right to produce the Ologere, and that Oba Saliu’s nomination and installation were done in violation of the family’s customs. They are also seeking an order declaring the entire process null and void, and affirming that Prince Olugbenga Adewoju, nominated by the Kankanbina family, is the rightful candidate for the Ologere throne.
As the case heads to trial, the Kankanbina ruling house hopes that the court will correct what they believe to be a grave injustice and uphold the traditions that have guided the selection of the Ologere for generations. The hearing is set for May 21, 2025, when the legal battle over Ogere-Remo’s royal leadership will officially begin.
