How Bishop Ladigbolu Distorted Facts On Alaafin Adeyemi’s Successor

ROLAND GODWIN

As the world looks forward to who becomes the next Alaafin of Oyo after the demise of the late Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, there are strong indications that there may be a crisis within the Agunloye’s Ruling House in whose turn to produce the next King.

Ayo Ladigbolu, a retired archbishop of the Methodist Church and prominent elder of the Ladigbolu’s family, one of the families within the Agunloye’s Ruling House hinted in a recent interview with the Cable that though it may be too early to talk about the next Alaafin when the time comes, the new King is likely to be Ladigbolu 111, as “the late Alaafin Gbadegesin was the son of Alaafin Ladigbolu. The full title was Oba Belo Gbadegesin Ladigbolu The Second.

“The father was the first and the next one from the family will be the third.”

According to him, the Agunloye’s Ruling House has two prominent families, Ladigbolu and Gbadegesin, adding that it is from these two families that Alaafin stool usually rotated.

But this is far from the truth as there are other families within the Agunloye’s Ruling House which are equally entitled to the Alaafin stool.

A prominent member of Agunloye’s family, Adeniyi Muftau Agunloye said there are other lineages Owoade, Tella and others that Bishop Ladigbolu failed to recognise in his interview. He said the Agunloyes are many especially the descendants of Alaafin Adelu Agunloye.

“It’s a deliberate distortion of information by the retired Bishop Ladigbolu to have said that the next Alaafin will be Ladigbolu 111 when it is not only Ladigbolu that is classified as Agunloye Ruling House.

“For equity and justice sake, the Ladigbolus had consecutively reigned two terms after the reigns of Alaafin Adelu Agunloye. For Bishop Ladigbolu to proclaim that it will be Ladigbolu III is an injustice to other Branches of the Agunloye Ruling House.

“So as the Agunloye’s Ruling House will produce the next Alaafin, it is natural that other Branches in Agunloye Ruling House should bring its candidate after Ladigbolu’s lineage had become Alaafin twice.

“I want to believe that retired Bishop Ladigbolu was misquoted by the reporter who interviewed him, but If not, this is a deliberate attempt by the Ladigbolu to distort facts

“For the record, Adelu Agunloye reigned from 1859 to 1875. Definitely, he was not Ladigbolu, which Is just a nickname. Oba Siyanbola Onikepe, Oladigbolu reigned 1911 to 1944, while Oba Bello Gbadegesin, Oladigbolu 11 reigned from 1956-1968. Other branches of Agunloye include Owoade, Tella and others.

“What happened was that Adeyemi branch of Alowolodu and Ladigbolu branch of Agunloye’s had ascended the throne more than other branches, Bishop Ladigbolu in his interview attempted to limit the AGUNLOYE RULING HOUSE to OLADIGBOLU ALONE. It will be unfair and unacceptable,” said Muftau Agunloye.