Descendants of the Atiba Ruling House in Oyo, Oyo State, on Friday, again insisted on the right to the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo, urging the government to beware of some people parading themselves as members of the ruling house.
The PUNCH reports that the stool became vacant after the demise of the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who joined his ancestors at the age of 83 in 2022.
There are two pending cases on the enthronement of the new monarch at different courts in the state.
The Basorun of Oyo town and four other high chiefs have filed a suit against the state governor, Seyi Makinde, the Attorney-General of the state, Oyewole Oyewo and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Segun Olayiwola on the matter.
Also, the descendants of the Atiba Ruling House are challenging their denial of the right to the throne in the same court.
A statement by Atiba descendants in Ibadan, the state capital, raised the alarm over the plan of some people parading themselves as members of the family to deprive them of their rights.
The current head of the ruling house, Mohammed Adediran-Atiba, affirmed that their patriarch left behind three surviving children whose descendants are bona fide members of the family.
He listed the offspring as Isikilu Adedeji, Tella Makanjuola and Asiru Sanda.
Adediran-Atiba said, “Our family has been informed of the nefarious activities of some unscrupulous and unknown persons laying claim to the membership of our esteemed house.
“For the avoidance of doubt and to put the records straight, our father and matriarch, Abiodun Atiba popularly known as Omo Oba Ese Apata was one of the sons of late Alaafin Abiodun Atiba who reigned between the years 1838-1858.
“He was also the grandson of late Alaafin Abiodun M’hammad Saliu, who reigned between the year 1769 and 1790, during the lifetime of late Prince Adediran Abiodun Atiba and in his lifetime, he had just three male children, who now form the lineage in his royal compound.
“Any other claim apart from the one sworn in this declaration in the state High Court, Awe should be regarded as void. Since the demise of Abiodun Atiba, the royal compound has had just five family heads in the past and the present one making it six Mogajis in total.”
He listed the past Mogajis to include, Isikilu Afonja Adedeji, 1936-1962; Tella Makanjuola, 1962-1971; Shittu Akano Adedeji, 1971-1991; and Yusuf Amuda Adediran, 1991-1995.
Others were M’hammad Tijani Lawuwo who also reigned as the family head from 1995-2917 and M’hammad Raji Makanjuola who was installed as the family head from 2017 till today, and is the current holder.
The Atiba family head, therefore, urged the state government and the chairman of Atiba Local Government against the antics of impostors parading themselves as members of the house.
