The Alaafin throne: Justice and the validation of history

BY ISIAKA ADEREMI ADELABU

It is no longer news that the throne of the Alaafin of Oyo has remained vacant in the past one year, since of our late father, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, and that the Oyo Mesi, transited through the loft to the realm of our ancestors in April 2022, after over 51 years on the throne. His was a long and peaceful reign, largely devoid of rancour, and one in which Oyo grew from strength to strength – which is what our homeland deserves into the future, as the efforts persist towards the enthronement of a new Alaafin.

While I and many of the sidelined princes, of the Atiba Ruling House, commend the efforts of the Oyo Mesi, as remarkably led by the Bashorun of Oyo, Baba Yusuf Akinade, who has been supported by his distinguished fellow chiefs, the Baba Iyaji, Samu, Agbaakin, Akiniku and Lagunna, we have continued to urge them to remain guided by unadulterated historical facts, tradition and wisdom as they go on with the process of choosing a new Alaafin.

It is also quite heart-warming that our very distinguished political leader in Oyo State, His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde, has come out to say – during the recent swearing in of Justice Iyabo Yerima as the substantive Chief Judge of Oyo State – that he will superintend over nothing short of a very fair and just process in the selection of a new Alaafin of Oyo. He had further noted that the delay witnessed so far has been due to the need of his government to do right by all the involved stakeholders and claimants to the throne, so that the Alaafin who emerges would be one who enjoys popular affirmation and support, without any subsequent acrimony and litigation that can promote instability in Oyo. The context for the making of this declaration was quite instructive. It was about strengthening the temple of justice.

As such, this declaration by His Excellency, Governor Makinde, has put paid to the mischievous attempt of some prince, who is also an aspirant to the Oyo throne, to short-circuit the selection process, by sponsoring disinformation in the public, by claiming he had been endorsed as the next Alaafin or is now the ‘Alaafin-elect’. This was a rather unfortunate exhibition of desperation and a subversive inclination by one seeking to destabilise the due process of selecting the Alaafin. But thankfully, this has been clearly rebutted by the Oyo State government, properly making this to be of no consequence.

At this junction, it bears reiterating some of the historical facts around the selection of a new Alaafin, which should guide the Oyo Mesi in completing the sacred task they have embarked upon in the past several months. These are facts that have also been painstakingly outlined by our venerated matriarch, Alhaja Sidikatu Adebowale Ejide Olona.

Contrary to the wrong and misleading notion circulated in the public for years now, there are not two, but only ONE ruling house in Oyo and this is the Atiba Ruling House or Atiba Dynasty. There have been the grossly ignorant attributions that there are two ruling houses in Oyo – the Alowolodu and the Agunloye ruling houses – of which the Alaafin is selected in rotation among these houses. Nothing could be further from the truth than this.

The historically correct version is that Alaafin Atiba, as the forerunner of what later became his dynasty, had eleven sons, including: (1.) Adelu Agunloye (who was the first in line to the Atiba throne), and whose lineage has produced four kings, namely: (i.) Adelu; (ii.) Lawani Agogo Ija; (iii.) Shiyanbola Ladigbolu; and (iv.) Bello Gbadegeshin.

The second eldest son of Atiba was Agboin Adelabu, while the third was Adesiyan. The fourth son of Alaafin Atiba was Adeyemi Alowolodu, whose lineage has so far produced three kings, namely: (i.) Adeyemi Alowolodu I; (ii.) Adeniran Adeyemi II; and (iii.) Lamidi Adeyemi, the most recent Alaafin.

The other sons of Atiba were Adesiyan, Adediran, Tella Agbojulogun, Adesokan Baba Idode, Adesetan, Tella Okitipapa, Olanite, and Abidekun.

This chronology that has been well documented in Samuel Johnson’s The History of the Yorubas from the Earliest times to the Beginning of the British Protectorate (1921).

From the foregoing outline, it is quite disturbing and should be a subject of concern that out of the 11 sons that survived Atiba, Alaafins have only been selected from the lineages of the first and the fourth sons – Agunloye and Alowolodu. These two have alternately sat on the throne for approximately 150 years, and hence considered it as given that the throne would ONLY rotate between them. What about the other nine legitimate sons of Atiba? Have they been dispossessed of their natural rights?

If allowed, once again, to participate in this round of selection of the Alaafin, it will be the Agunloye’s fifth time on the throne and the Alowolodu’s fourth time! What about the other Atiba Nine?!

As such, if the laws of natural justice are to be followed, the proper hierarchical line of sons should be retored and made inviolable, and hence the descendants of Agboin Adelabu should definitely be the next to produce the newer Alaafin to rule Oyo Kingdom.

My great grandfather, Prince Adelabu was the second son of Alaafin Atiba through his queen, Ayaba Opabiyi. Prince Adelabu was also the grandson of Oja, who was the Baale of Ago. Oja hosted Atiba and allowed him to settle in Ago and establish what is known as Oyo today.

In addition, he gave his beloved daughter, Opabiyi in marriage to Atiba. This union produced two male and two female offspring. The first male offspring was Adelabu, the second was Ala (killed by Adewusi, the younger brother of Adelu Agunloye). Alaafin Atiba sentenced Adewusi to death for killing Ala. This harsh punishment started the hatred for Adelabu and his mother.

It got so bad that Adelabu was not safe walking around Oyo town and he had to flee Oyo to Ibadan for his own safety.

Right from the start and prior to the killing of Ala by Adewusi, Adelabu was privileged because of the Oja-Opabiyi-Atiba relationship. He was indeed the golden prince with the silver spoon in his mouth! Opabiyi’s family basically facilitated the establishment of Oyo for Atiba. By virtue of this, Alaafin Atiba had a soft spot for Opabiyi and her children.

Adelabu subsequently returned to Oyo and his compound was named Ile Baba Ibadan. Adelabu (Baba Ibadan) inherited vast pieces of land from his father, including the Baba Ibadan Village in Oyo.

Ironically, the lineage of this same Adelabu, second in line to the throne of Alaafin of Oyo, (whose maternal family established the Atiba family in Oyo) has been deprived the right to the throne for almost 150 years!

Hence, the sidelined Royal Houses of the Atiba Dynasty, namely, Adelabu, Adesiyan, Adediran, Tella Agbojulogun, Adesokan Baba Idode, Adesetan, Tella Okitipapa, Olanite, Abidekun, are considering this as an historical moment to seek justice for our exclusion from the throne of our progenitor, Alaafin Atobatele Atiba. While we are currently in court seeking justice, equity, fairness and our entitlement to the Oyo throne of Alaafin of Oyo, and we are confident that the law will eventually be on our side, our prayers remain that the Oyo Mesi will see the wisdom in doing right by us, and His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde will ultimately be the arbiter of justice towards a new dawn in Oyo Kingdom.

Isiaka Aderemi Adelabu is a prince of the Adelabu Ruling House of the Atiba Dynasty in Oyo Kingdom.