Adeyemi Family Protests Exclusion from Awujale Royal Lineage

The Adeyemi ruling house of the Anikilaya dynasty has strongly condemned its exclusion from the Anikilaya ruling house—the royal family historically eligible to present candidates for the esteemed stool of the Awujale of Ijebuland in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

The protest comes in the wake of the recent passing of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, the respected Awujale, whom the Anikilaya ruling house produced. The Adeyemi family, represented by Adedeji Ademola Adeyemi, expressed outrage, alleging deliberate historical distortion by certain members of the Anikilaya house, who purportedly removed the Adeyemis from the royal lineage recognized for succession.

According to Adeyemi, Prince Ademola Aiyegbajeje Adeyemi—direct descendant of Adeyemi Anikilaya, the eldest crowned prince of the late Oba Anikilaya Saagun—was initially selected for the Awujale stool after the death of Oba Daniel Adesanya in 1959, but declined. His brother, Prince Mubashiru Adedipupo Adeyemi, was instrumental in advancing his own son, Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who went on to become Awujale in 1960.

Rejecting purported attempts to diminish their status, the Adeyemi family insists that true lineage can only be traced through Adeyemi Anikilaya, the eldest son of Oba Anikilaya Saagun Figbajoye, who reigned until 1821. The family also denounced the imposition of names—Mabadeje, Adekoya Ofirigidi, and Adeire Adeewu—as part of the royal bloodline, asserting these individuals are not legitimate heirs.

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The family statement called on the public to disregard contrary claims promoted in the media, labelling them as both misleading and historically inaccurate. The Adeyemi house reaffirmed their rightful position as the senior line within the Anikilaya ruling house and demanded that recent alterations to the recorded lineage be dismissed outright.

This controversy emerges amidst active preparations for the selection of the next Awujale, following the customary rotation among Ijebu Ode’s four officially recognized ruling houses: Anikilaya, Fusengbuwa, Fidipote, and Gbelegbuwa. As succession activities proceed, the Adeyemi family’s insistence on historical truth adds a new dimension to the debate over Ijebuland’s royal heritage.