Awujale: Adeyemi Ruling House Rejects Exclusion from Anikilaya Dynasty, Demands Recognition in Awujale Succession

The Adeyemi ruling house of the Anikilaya dynasty has condemned its alleged exclusion from the list of recognized royal families eligible to produce candidates for the Awujale of Ijebuland stool in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

This comes after the passing of the late Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who hailed from the Anikilaya ruling house and joined his ancestors last month.

In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by Adedeji Ademola Adeyemi, the family accused certain members of the Anikilaya ruling house of distorting history by omitting the Adeyemi lineage from the royal family tree.

Adeyemi clarified that Adeyemi Anikilaya was the firstborn crown prince of the late Oba Anikilaya Saagun, while Ogbagba and Ademolu were his younger brothers.

He further revealed that Prince Ademola Aiyegbajeje Adeyemi was initially selected for the Awujale throne in 1959 after the demise of Oba Daniel Adesanya Gbelegbuwa II but declined the offer.

“His brother, Prince Rafiu Adetona Adeleke—father of the late Oba S.K. Adetona—stepped in and presented his son, who was later crowned Awujale in 1960,” the statement read.

The family strongly refuted claims by some members who allegedly disregarded the Adeyemi lineage as the eldest and instead wrongly recognized the second-born while adding unrelated names—Mabadeje, Adekoya Ofirigidi, and Adeire Adeewu—to the royal lineage.

“These individuals were never part of Oba Anikilaya Saagun Figbajoye’s descendants,” the statement emphasized, insisting that the Adeyemi family remains the true heirs of the firstborn lineage.

The family urged the public to dismiss what it described as “false and misleading claims” circulated by a “few misguided members” of the dynasty, reaffirming their rightful place in the Anikilaya royal succession.

The controversy highlights deep-seated tensions within the Ijebu traditional institution as the process for selecting a new Awujale unfolds.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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