By Femi Alufa
The traditional history of the Yorubas usually started with Olofin Oduduwa , the legendary progenitor of the race and his princes in Ile- Ife.
The Oduduwa legend says that Oranmiyan(Oranyan) was the youngest and last son of Olofin Oduduwa.Oranmiyan established the lines of the royal dynasty of Benin kingdom after given birth to Eweka.
Eweka became the royal ancestor of the present lineage of Oba of Benin after the eclipse of the Ogiso dynasty.
Oranmiyan was the most adventurous Prince of Oduduwa.He later went and found the old Oyo kingdom.
Oranmiyan(Oranyan) was the first Alaafin of Oyo and he was succeeded by his son Ajuan alias Ajaka.Sango ,another son of Oranyan and brother of Ajaka was the third Alaafin of Oyo,he was warlike and highly impetuous who was responsible for the effective consolidation of the earliest Oyo kingdom.
The old Oyo kingdom or Oyo Empire was very powerful in those days.It’s influence and power stretched from the capital,Oyo Ile to Dahomey (now Benin Republic),Togo and some areas of the old Gold Coast (now Ghana)and entire Yoruba land in the present Southwest of Nigeria.
Alaafin was the head of Oyo Empire.He had the power of life and death over his subjects.
It will be deduced that thirty six (36) Alaafins had reigned in old Oyo ( i.e Oyo Ile or Katunga) from Oranyan to Atiba.It was Atiba (Alaafin Atobatele Atiba) who left Oyo Ile in 1837 and founded the New Oyo at Ago Oja (Agodoyo) when the Fulanis sacked the old Oyo Ile.Hence the relocation of Oyo to what we have today.This new location of Agodoyo or Ago Oja is known as Oyo Atiba.
The Alaafins who reigned in the present Oyo Town since 1837 till date are nine(9):
38.Atiba Atobatele (son of Alaafin Abiodun of old Oyo Empire) reigned from 1837-1859.
39.Olujide Adelu Agunloye (son of Atiba Atobatele) reigned from 1859-1876.
40.Adeyemi I Alowolodu (son of Atiba Atobatele) reigned from 1876 -1905.
41.Lawani Agogoja( son of Adelu Agunloye) reigned from 1905-1911.
42.Siyanbola Ladigbolu I (son of Lawani Agogoja and sibling of Prince Aderounmu Owoade) reigned from 1911 – 1944.
43.Adeniran Adeyemi II (son of Adeyemi I Alowolodu) reigned from 1945-1955.
44.Bello Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II ( son of Siyanbola Ladigbolu I) reigned from 1956-1968.
45.Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III ( son of Adeniran Adeyemi II) reigned from 1970-2022
46.Abimbola Akeem Owoade I(paternal great grandson of Aremo Prince Aderounmu Owoade and great -great grandson of Alaafin Lawani Agogoja)who started his reign in 2025.
His Imperial Majesty Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade , Aláàfin ti Ọ̀yọ́; Ikú Bàbá Yèyé is the 46th Alaafin, or traditional ruler, of the Yoruba town of Oyo and rightful heir to the throne of its historic empire.
Abimbola Owoade was born in 1975 into the royal family of Owoade-Agunloye, Agure Compound, Oyo Town, Oyo State to Rasaki Ibiyosi Owoade. Owoade is a paternal great-grandson of Alaafin Lawani Agogoja through his paternal grandfather Aderounmu Iyanda Owoade (who was a brother of Alaafin Ladigbolu I). Thus, he is a member of the Agunloye royal house as a great-great grandson of Alaafin Agunloye, and is a direct descendant of Alaafin Atiba.
In 1992, he completed his Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) at Baptist High School, Saki, Oyo State. He studied Mechanical Engineering at The Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State (1994–1997), and The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State (1999–2001), earning an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and a Higher National Diploma (HND), respectively.
He later moved to the United Kingdom, where he attended the University of Sunderland and Northumbria University, earning a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 2008 and 2012, respectively.
Abimbola Owoade’s career began in 2002 as a corps member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), serving as a Mechanical Intern/Planner with the Nigeria Gas Company. He worked briefly with Oceanic Bank Plc as a teller from 2003 to 2004.
He later relocated to the U.K., where he earned certification as a Project Manager after completing his degrees. Before being selected as Alaafin, he most recently worked as a project coordinator at Manitoba Hydro in Winnipeg, Canada.
Since the demise of Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III on 22 April 2022,the selection process for a replacement has been contentious. In May 2023, some royal families protested what they described as their exclusion from the process.
In January 2025, another faction warned the Oyo State Government against interfering in the selection process due to a pending court case.
However, on 10 January 2025, the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, approved the selection of Abimbola Owoade to succeed his second cousin twice-removed, (as they are both male line descendants of Alaafin Atiba) the late Oba Lamidi III.
On 13 January, the state governor, presented a certificate and staff of office to the new traditional ruler.He will be coronated on April 5, 2025.
The present and 46th Alaafin Abimbola Akeem Owoade’s royal ancestry is traced through his royal family of Owoade- Agunloye,Agure compound,Oyo Town as a fourth generation descendant of the 41st Alaafin Lawani Agogoja ( reigned 1905-1911),5th generation descendant of the 39th Alaafin Adelu Agunloye (reigned 1859-1875),6th generation descendant of Alaafin Atiba Atobatele (reigned 1837 -1859), the founder of the present Oyo Town and 7th generation descendant of Alaafin Abiodun (reigned c.1770-1789) of the old Oyo Empire.
As the Alaafin Abimbola Akeem Owoade I is officially coronated today, Saturday, April 5th,2025 A.D as the custodian of the ancient royal stool of Oranmiyan (Oranyan) of the medieval Oyo Empire and the present day Oyo Town.May his reign be peaceful, prosperous and longer than his ancestors.Long live the King!
- Femi Alufa ,writer and history buff,is the publisher of Ekiti Summit News Media and curator of the #AncestoryHub.
Reference: Wikipedia
#EkitiSummitNews #FemiAlufaPost #AlaafinOyo #AlaafinOwoadeI #Alaafin #AncesroryHub