SPECIAL FEATURE: OBA LAMIDI OLAYIWOLA ATANDA ADEYEMI III

OBA LAMIDI OLAYIWOLA ATANDA ADEYEMI III

Lamidi Olayiwola Atanda Adeyemi (Adeyemi III) was born on October 15th, 1938 to the Adeyemi branch of Alowolodu family as a member of the House of Oranmiyan to Raji Adeniran Adeyemi (born 1871), who later became Alaafin in 1945, and Ibironke of Epo-Gingin, who died when he was young. 

His father is said to have had over 200 wives. His paternal grandfather was Alaafin Adeyemi I Alowolodu, who ruled during the Kiriji War, and was the last independent ruler of the Oyo Empire before British colonialism. Alaafin Adeyemi I's father, and Adeyemi III's great-grandfather was Oba Atiba Atobatele, who founded New Oyo.Atiba's father, his great-great grandfather, was Alaafin Abiodun and is a direct descendant of Oranmiyan, the founder of the Oyo Empire.

Lamidi's father, the Alaafin of Oyo Oba  Adeniran Adeyemi II, was deposed and exiled in 1954 for sympathizing with the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC). He had come into conflict with Bode Thomas, deputy leader of the Action Group.

Bode Thomas, according to unconfirmed sources, shouted at him for not standing to greet him as the chairman of NCNC during a political gathering at a party. Oba Adeyemi II Adeniran, insulted, stood and then told Bode Thomas to go home and bark like a dog. Later, he started coughing blood and died while walking back home leaving his entourage. Shortly, Herbert Macaulay heard of the catastrophe, and along with Obafemi Awolowo accused Oba Adeyemi II of poisoning Thomas, and then exiled him from his kingdom. He lived out the rest of his days in Lagos where his subjects still visited him until his death in the early 1960s.

From Prince Lamidi to Oba Adeyemi iii

Lamidi Adeyemi’s education started from the Quranic School in Iseyin. He later went back to Oyo but not into the palace. Rather, he stayed with the head master, St. Andrews Primary School (now St. Andrews College), proceeding thereafter to live with the Alake of Egba, Oba Oladepo Ademola, in his palace. Prince Atanda’s education met a dead end following the 1947-48 demonstration of Egba women against “tax without representation” led by Mrs Funmilayo Ransome Kuti. The effect forced Oba Ademola to abdicate his throne to live in exile at Osogbo.That period was Prince Adeyemi’s introduction into the other unprincely side of life.  

He later went to live with Sir Kofoworola Adebayo Abayomi in Keffi, Ikoyi, Lagos. While in Keffi, he attended Obalende Modern School, owned by Pa Domingo; father of the renowned musician Adeyomi Domingo. He later attended Tinubu Methodist School overlooking the famed fountain and the first General Bank. 

He attended St. Gregory’s College Obalende in accordance to his guardian’s wish.

Oba Adeyemi III lived in tough areas of Lagos Island. Places like Ita Faji, Olowogbowo and the famed Ojuolomokoto.

Oba Adeyemi III left St. Gregory’s College with very good grade and wanted to study Law . This was not to be as his father was deposed on February 14 , 1946 two days to the planned travel abroad. 

He was offered a job at the Royal Exchange Assurance, Marina, Lagos. He also wrote articles under pen names in newspapers, writing about himself and his experience.

At the Royal Exchange Assurance, he was promoted into specialist area of obligatory Facultative Insurance and Internal memo drafting. He began to earn lots of money but his father gave a strict instruction that the must invest every penny that came hisway. 

Consequently, Oba Adeyemi III ventured into business buying wrecked cars to repairand resell. Oba Adeyemi’s journey had not been on a smooth path, rather he rode on the high stormy sea, sun-burnt mountains and many times on rocky and hilly parts. Having lost his mother, Ibironke, at an early age, he had little or no motherly touch and never had to stay for a long while with his father. He was almost always a lonely man. But his dreams and determination for success drove him heeding the calls of the gods, forgetting his own personal life for the sake of others, he has become an Icon, undoubtedly an Iroko tree: where all birds from the universe find their rest.

Oba Lamidi Adeyemi succeeded Alaafin Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II in 1971. This happened shortly after the end of the Nigerian civil war, when Colonel Robert Adeyinka Adebayo was the governor. Then, he was working as an insurance clerk. As the usual practice in the selection of the new Alaafin, after the death of Alaafin Bello Gbadegesin, the Oyomesi contacted Oranlola (Baba Iwo) of Alowolodu to become the Alaafin. He then called for a meeting within Alowolodu royal family. He informed them of his meeting with Oyomesi and that he suggested his son, Sanda ‘Ladepo. All the members of the family agreed to this except Baba Salami Dudu. Baba Salami Dudu suggested Prince Lamidi Adeyemi a son to Alaafin Adeyemi Adeniran ll. The contention for the throne of the Alaafin became more intense to the extent that some of the princes from the larger royal families in Oyo became contenders. Among these were Aremo Sanni Gbadegesin, Prince Olanite Ajagba, Prince Afonja Ilaka, Prince Lamidi Adeyemi, and Prince Sanda ‘Ladepo Oranlola. 

After all the intrigues, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi Olayiwola III emerged the Alaafin of Oyo in 1970 and was crowned on the January 14th, 1971. He emerged the first; defeating ten others after a vigorous screening exercise. However, due to what observer attested to be a political interference, the then government “refused to endorse my appointment, saying the procedure was not right” were the words of this great monarch during one of the numerous interviews he granted. So the process started over again with the same result the second and the third time. Interestingly, despite the immense pressure upon the Oyomesi ‘against his candidature by the government, the Oyomesi stood its ground. Thus the process was put in abeyance until after the civil war, when the whole process started all over again. To the relief of many and chagrin of the opposition, Oba Adeyemi III was elected the winner and was finally chosen by the kingmakers on November 18, 1970 and then moved into the palace after completing the necessary rites.

In 1980, the Federal Government appointed Oba Adeyemi as the pioneering Chancellor of then newly established University of Sokoto, now Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, for a first four-year tenure. At the expiration of that first tenure, the senate and council of the University recommended him for another term. 

The president and visitor to the university graciously approved the request, thus he was appointed for a second term. And at the expiration of the second term, in an unprecedented manner, has was appointed for yet another term, the third term, thus giving him a total of 12 years as the Chancellor of the university, a feat yet to be matched by anybody in the annals of chancellorship of university of Nigeria.. 

On 3 May 2011, the outgoing Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala announced that the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III was no longer Permanent Chairman of the Council of Obas and Chiefs in Oyo State. The state government had just passed a law that introduced rotation of the office of Chairman between the Alaafin and his two rivals, the Olubadan of Ibadanland and the Soun of Ogbomoso.

Talking in September 1984 Oba Adeyemi said: "Traditional rulers should be seen as the perfect embodiment of the culture of the place, as well as the synthesis of the aspirations and goals of the nation. This is not only in social values of veracity, egalitarianism, justice and democracy; but in dress, utterances and comportment. 

One of the numerous articles written by the late momarch was titled” I SHALL BE GREAT” in 1968 and a year later, he wrote yet another one: “I shall be the next Alaafin”. He wrote critiques of how the Nigerian teachers were treated, having been inspired by the state in which he saw one of his old teachers in a tattered shirt and tie. He wrote yet another entitled. “Women Liberation: A misnomer in Yoruba land”. This may not be unrelated to his view that women in the Oyo Empire were, in his words, “at least very active”.

 

He was married to Ayaba Abibat Adeyemi, his senior wife. He attended most events with her or with one of the twelve junior wives that he's also married to.

His other wives were Ayaba Rahmat Adedayo Adeyemi, Ayaba Mujidat Adeyemi, Ayaba Rukayat Adeyemi, Ayaba Folashade Adeyemi, Ayaba Badirat Ajoke Adeyemi, Ayaba Memunat Omowunmi Adeyemi, Ayaba Omobolanle Adeyemi, Ayaba Moji Adeyemi, Ayaba Anuoluwapo Adeyemi, and Ayaba Damilola Adeyemi.

He was a lover of boxing, as he was a boxer before ascending the throne of his Fathers.

Alaafin died on April 22, 2022 at the Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti in Ekiti State, at the age of 83, after reports of a brief illness. 

His reign of 52 years is the longest reign of any Alaafin of Oyo in history. His death was announced on several major Nigerian news networks on the morning of the next day, where his remains had already been returned to Oyo. 

May Oba Adeyemi's soul Rest In Peace