Kunle Adelabu
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo -Olu will today present the staff of office and certificate of recognition to the former two -term representative of Ikorodu Constituency II, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adefarasin Saheed Hassan, as the Alajede of Ijede in Ikorodu Division area of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria.
Hon. Hassan, who was also a former two – term Chairman, Ijede Local Council Development Area (LCDA), THE IMPACT can authoritatively report will use “Ajanaku II” as his title after he has emerged as the next Alajede of Ijede officially.
The presentation of staff of office and certificate of recognition will be carried out at the Ijede LCDA secretariat today, Friday, January 9, 2026.
His emergence is coming about 14 years after the former monarch, His Royal Majesty, Oba Fatai Adeboye Oresanya, Ladega II, joined his ancestors. Since then, there has been protracted, multi -legal, traditional and communal struggle and debacle especially between the new Alajede -elect, Hon. Adefarasin Saheed Hassan and Prince Kazeem Amusa and their supporters.
The prolonged struggles tore and divided Ijede into different sections, thus, preventing development.
The late monarch died August 13, 2012, and the process to fill the vacant position began on March 28, 2013, and was concluded with the selection of the two -term representative of the Ikorodu Constituency II and two term Chairman, of Ijede Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Hon. Saheed Hassan Adefarasin, as the Alajede – elect by the ljede Kingmakers. However, the outcome of the selection process was challenged by other members of the Alajede – elect’s ruling house.
A total of 10 Princes vied to fill the vacant Alajede stool.
The matter, challenging the Alajede selection process, was instituted in the Suit No. IKD/82/2013, with Pa (Chief) Olayiwola Saka Owoyele, Prince Kazeem Amusa and Prince Babatunde Sulaimon Amusa as plaintiff/claimants, suing Hon. Saheed Hassan Adefarasin, Chairman, Ijede LCDA, Chief Alliu Musediku Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs and Governor of Lagos State, on behalf of themselves and the Idowu Ajanaku Royal family of Ijede.
Chief Adedayo Aba Ajanaku and Tunji Pero, were joined as defendants by the order of the court in January 2017.
11 years after going in and out of the court rooms, Honourable Lawal Akapo of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja (now at the Court of Appeal), finally delivered his judgment on the Alajede matter in the Suit No. IKD/82/2013, on March 6, 2024.
Unfortunately, an Appeal Court hearing the matter challenged Justice Akapo’s decision to suo moto (de-consolidate) a matter among the Idowu Ajanakus before him while ruling on a late preliminary objection when he was about to conclude the matter. The deconsolidation was appealed.
The Court of Appeal eventually delivered Ruling in the appeal and declared that the de-consolidation was unlawful and the matters should be heard together thus nullifying the judgment of the High Court in the Ajanaku matter. Therefore, starting the case afresh at the Lagos High Court in Ikorodu.
Meanwhile, the Shookun family and others are also interested in the matter.
In the last four months, there have been protests by residents in support of Prince Kazeem Amusa to the Alausa Secretariat and within the Ijede community, calling on the Lagos State Government to stop wasting time in installing their choice as the next Alajede.
There has also been threat to lives, especially on the new Alajede -elect, Hon. Adeferasin Hassan, which necessitated the invitation sent to the contestants by the Area N Commander some months ago.
