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The Adeyemi ruling house of the Anikilaya dynasty has faulted their exclusion from the Anikilaya ruling house, one of the ruling houses producing candidates for the stool of Awujale of Ijebuland in Ijebu Ode area of Ogun State.
Recall that the Anikilaya ruling house produced the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who joined his ancestors last month.
The family, in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday and signed by Adedeji Ademola Adeyemi, said a few members of the Anikilaya ruling house deliberately distorted history by removing the name of the Adeyemis from the family lineage.
Adeyemi explained that Adeyemi Anikilaya was the eldest crown prince of the late Oba Anikilaya Saagun, while Ogbagba and Ademolu were his remaining two sons.
He explained that “Prince Ademola Aiyegbajeje Adeyemi was selected for the stool of Awujale after the demise of Oba Daniel Adesanya, Gbelegbuwa the II, in 1959, but he rejected the offer.
“His immediate brother, Prince Rafiu Adetona Adeleke, the father of late Oba SK Adetona, contested and pushed forward his son, Sikiru Kayode Adetona of the Adeyemi Anikilaya family, who received the blessings of the kingmakers and was crowned Awujale in 1960.”
The Adeyemi ruling house said it rejected a claim by some members of the family who refused to recognise the Adeyemis as the eldest son but erroneously gave the headship to the second-born and added two others who were not part of the family to the royal family lineage.
He explained that “Putting the record straight, the Adeyemi ruling house rejected the inclusion of Mabadeje, Adekoya Ofirigidi, and Adeire Adeewu, who were unknown alleged children of late Oba Anikilaya Saagun Figbajoye, who reigned in 1821.
“The Adeyemi ruling house reiterates that they remain descendants of Adeyemi Anikilaya, the eldest son of the late Oba Anikilaya Saagun Figbajoye, Awujale of Ijebu Ode till 1821.
The family, therefore, implores the world to disregard the so-called submissions of a few misguided members of the family posted in the media, whose submissions are inconsequential and fraught with falsehood. (PUNCH)
