OLAOLU OLADIPO 
Barely a few months after the demise of the late occupant, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, many eligible princes are currently jostling to succeed the late monarch as the next Alaafin of Oyo. One of them, Prince Hassan Adedolapo Adedeji Atiba-Adediran, in this interview with OLAOLU OLADIPO speaks about the life and times of Oba Adeyemi III. He urged princes from Agunloye Ruling House to shelve their bid to allow the emergence of another prince from one of the other nine ruling houses to mount the throne in the interest of fairness and equity. Excerpts…
How did the news of the death of Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, come to you and who was the late monarch to you?
The departed monarch was a very good uncle to me. He was very nice and kind to all who knew him while alive. He was a great encyclopedia of knowledge who was very versed in whatever topic that you engaged him on. He was a worthy father by virtue of his position to all sons and daughters of the great Alaafin Atiba. He was a source of joy and rallying point to all when he was alive.
What are the things that you will remember about the late monarch?
I will forever remember him for many things. Firstly, I remember his ability to properly carry himself publicly. He was very confident outwardly. He had control over his actions as a notable traditional ruler. He was a man imbued with the ability to rally all family members. As someone who knew him intimately he had the leadership attributes that allowed him to attend to matters correctly. He was a very honest and straightforward person. To sum it up, he was a God sent not only to Oyo land but the Yoruba race as well as Nigeria in general. He was an exact reincarnation of the late Alaafin Atiba himself. We heard a lot about the patriarch of the family, Alaafin Atiba, himself and I say that the late Oba Adeyemi III was an embodiment of those noble and lofty attributes.
What was the relationship between the late Alaafin Adeyemi III and members of the extended Alaafin Atiba family?
He established a very cordial relationship with his brothers in other sub-ruling houses. He took it upon himself to assist any member of the house whenever any issue arose. He treated us fairly and equitably.
How do you see his contributions to the development of Oyo town?
As we know generally, his contributions to the development of the town as well as areas under his rule was more above average. I am sure he could have done more but our much loved father was held back by the prevailing situation in the country which began to nosedive since he (Oba Adeyemi III) ascended the throne in 1970. We can say that he did his best as a leader and father. Our prayers are that his successor would do well to take Oyo to the next level from where Kabiyesi stopped.
You speak glowingly about the late Alaafin, what agenda do you have for the person who is going to succeed him?
I expect that the kingmakers and the gods will favour me to succeed our late father. I know that I have great plans for our people in Oyo. But it is said that there are only two ruling houses in Oyo that are entitled to fill the stool… Forget what you have been told or read in the papers. You have been reading what our cousins in the Ladigbolu House have been saying that there are only two ruling houses. I refer whoever wishes to know to the 1976 Declaration on the Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy.
Why do you say that there are more than two ruling houses in Oyo?
There is only one ruling house in Oyo and that is Atiba Ruling House. The late Oba Atiba himself gave birth to 11 sons whose descendants are eligible to contest the stool courtesy of the 1976 Declaration. Alaafin Atiba gave birth to 21 children with 11 of them being boys. The descendants of the two children who have been on the throne since 1859 have been giving this impression that they are the only ones entitled to mount the throne. The throne has continued to rotate between the Agunloye and Alowolodu Houses.
Why was it so, is it that other houses are not contesting the throne with them?
I don’t think it was intentional that it occurred that way but I think that some circumstances warranted it. What happened was that Adelu Agunloye, the first son of Alaafin Atiba, reigned after his father. The fourth son Alowolodu took over from him.
After the death of Alowolodu Adeyemi, the throne went back to Lawan Bamigbade Agogo Ija who himself was succeeded by his son, Siyanbola Ladigbolu. After Ladigbolu, Adeyemi II came only to be succeeded by Gbedegesin Ladigbolu II. What happened was that everyone in the family in the past saw themselves as one from the same family.
But there is a Chieftaincy Declaration of 1961 or is there any other Declaration aside from that?
Yes, there is another declaration.
Could you tell us about it?
In 1961, the event that occurred which made that declaration happen was as a result of a misunderstanding between my great grand uncle, Oba Adeniran Adeyemi II and late Chief Obafemi Awolowo who felt that the two families that had mounted the throne were the only ones who descended from the late Oba Atiba and that they can continue to rotate the stool among themselves. When the throne became vacant, members of the other families protested and the then Military Governor, late Colonel Adeyinka Adebayo, promised and indeed caused a change to the Chieftaincy Declaration of 1961. Colonel Adebayo had to beg my great grandfather to personally nominate any of the sons of late Oba Adeniran Adeyemi II and that after then, the declaration would be worked on and my great grandfather, late Prince Iskilu Adedeji Adeniran-Atiba, complied by picking the recently departed Alaafin as his choice over and above some of his other brothers who contested against him. Governor Adebayo promised that the Western State Government was going to institute an inquiry that would involve all the Mogajis (family heads) of all the 11 families. He lived up to his promise by inviting all the family heads and a new declaration listing all the descendants of Atiba that are entitled to contest the throne came into effect in 1976.
By that time Oba Adeyemi III was on the throne; did he make any objection to the declaration listing all the members of Atiba House?
No, he didn’t. He even made valuable inputs into the process. The late Oba contracted the services of late Justice Atinuke Ige to serve as their family lawyer during the duration of the enquiry. She represented the interest of the Alowolodu family. This issue is very clear; several informed writers such as Reverend Samuel Johnson in his famous book, History of the Yorubas, listed the 11 male descendants of Oba Atiba.
So, what are the implications of the new chieftaincy declaration?
The implication is that the new declaration makes the old one of 1961 defective. Rather than the only two houses, we now have a single house consisting of all descendants of all male children of late Oba Atiba.
What do you have to say to What do you have to say to your cousins from Agunloye Ruling House who are jostling to succeed Oba Adeyemi III. Are you saying they shouldn’t also contest the stool with you this time?
Exactly!
Why do you say so?
They should allow others because they’ve had more than their fair share in terms of opportunity to mount the throne. For instance, from the Agunloye House, we have had four Alaafins while we have had three from the Alowolodu House. This is the eighth opportunity after the demise of Oba Atiba in 1854 which I think must be taken by another ruling house. You know that in customary law, the moment this opportunity eludes us and it gets to the tenth time, it means that the other houses have conceded the stool to the two families. We are not ready to concede this time.
Are you interested in mounting the throne?
Yes, I am. The Baba Yaji (Head of Oyo princes) has been informed of my desire to mount the throne.
If the process of picking the new Alaafin is transparent and you are not picked, will you accept?
I will accept because I seek the good and prosperity of my town. I know that the person that would emerge would not be outside the larger family. We know every one of us.
What prompted you to vie for the stool apart from the reasons that you have highlighted before?
Every time I go home at least once a month where I spend one week at home I see the need for proper leadership, and to answer your question, two things are propelling me. The first is to seek development for the town. I want to develop the tourist potential of the town to attract people for tourism. I also wish to attract government projects to the town.
How many of you (Oyo princes) have collected forms so far?
There is no form but what you do is to write the Baba Yaji (Head of princes) to signify your interest.
Ok, how many of you?
Truly, I cannot say how many of us now but from what I have heard, 26 of us.
Are you getting support from other families apart from the Adeniran Ruling House where you come from?
As we speak, the larger Atiba Ruling House has been divided into two, those who have tasted the throne and those who haven’t. All the nine houses that are advocating that the throne should come to anyone of them and many of them are rooting for my candidacy because they want me to break the jinx.
What is your relationship with the Oyomesi (the traditional kingmakers)?
I enjoy cordial relationship with them. They know me very well. They know my pedigree. They know my father, grandfather and great grandfather so well.
