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The Alake of Egbaland is the paramount Yoruba king of the Egba, a clan in Abeokuta, Ogun State, southwestern Nigeria. [1] Egba consists of Egba Ake, Owu kingdom, Oke-Ona and Egba Gbagura. [2]
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The Alake of Egbaland is the paramount Yoruba king of the Egba, a clan in Abeokuta, Ogun State, southwestern Nigeria. [1] Egba consists of Egba Ake, Owu kingdom, Oke-Ona and Egba Gbagura. [2]
According to oral tradition, the Alake, believed to be a descendant of Oduduwa, was the monarch of the Ake subgroup of the Egba. The Alake was likely under the power and influence of the Alaafin. The Aláké ruled in a region known as "Igbó Ẹ̀gbá," north of present day Abeokuta. There were over 20 kings that ruled Ake before the Ake settled in Abeokuta in 1830. The exact dates of their reigns are still unclear, and many of the names of the supposed kings are linked to oriki or nicknames. The first Alake to rule is said to be Ajalake, who may have ruled sometime in the 15th or 16th century. [3] Laarun, an Alake of Egbaland who ruled during the 18th century, was the great-grandfather of Shomoye, the Bashorun of Egbaland through Laarun's son Lukoye. Lukoye was also the great-grandfather of the first Alake of Egbaland in Abeokuta, Okukenu. Laarun was also a great-grandfather of Alake Jibodu.
Larelu or Lelu Erigi was another Alake of Ake, and reigned sometime in the mid 1700s. He was the grandfather of the Egba warlord and leader Sodeke, through Sodeke's mother Efuwo.
Jibodu was the pentultimate Alake in Igbo-Egba, and likely ruled during the turn of the 19th century. Jibodu was a son of Saade, who was a granddaughter of Alake Laarun. Many of Jibodu's descendants became Alake of Egbaland when the Egba moved to Abeokuta.
Okikilu was the last Alake to rule in Igbo-Egba. He was murdered by messengers sometime in the early 1900s during a civil war among Ake towns known as Agbaje. The Egba Ake people soon settled in Abeokuta not too long after his death.
Sagbua Okukenu became the first Alake of Egbaland, ruling between 8 August 1854 to 31 August 1862. [4] He was a great-great grandson of Laarun, an ancient Alake. Prior to the appointment of the Sagbua Okukenu in 1846, Shomoye, who was a cousin of Okukenu was installed as regent for one year, between 1845 and 1846. Adekanmbi Somoye was born in Orile-Iporo sometime between 1790 and 1800. His father Jejusimi was a son of Lukoye, who was a son of Laarun, an Alake of Egbaland who ruled sometime in the 18th century. Following the demise of Oba Okukenu in 1862, Shomoye returned to the throne of the Alake of Egbaland as a regent, where he spent four years between 1862 until his death on August 8, 1868. Following this, Oba Ademola I was appointed on 28 November 1869. Ademola was a grandson of Jibodu, an Alake of Egba before the migration to Abeokuta, through his mother Teniade. [5] [6] His rise to throne was bitterly contested with his Oyekan, and supporters of Oyekan, who were primarily the Ogboni chiefs, refused to recognize his rule for many years. He ruled for eight years until his demise on 30 December 1877. [7]
On 1 January 1878, Oba Oyekan was appointed as the Alake of Egbaland. [8] Oyekan was the son of Alake Jibodu. [9] He was quite old when he became king, and he spent only three years on the throne before his demise on 18 September 1881. Thereafter, Oluwaji was appointed on 9 February 1885, and ruled in this capacity for four years, until his death on 27 January 1889. He was from Itoku and was a grandson of Jibodu through his mother Erelu [10] After a two-year vacancy, Oba Oshokalu, a son of Latomi and a grandson of Jibodu, was appointed Alake on 18 September 1891. He ruled in this capacity for seven years until his demise on 11 June 1898. [11] [12] On 8 August 1898 Oba Gbadebo I became the Alake of Egbaland. Gbadebo was a son of the first Alake Okukenu and his wife Efunwunmi. He was born sometime in May or June 1854, when his father was attempting to become the first Alake. He spent twenty-two years on the throne until his death on 28 May 1920. [13] He died at the age of 66 (1854–1920). He was the first Alake to convert to Christianity, which he did shortly before his death. One of his sons, Adesanya Osolake Gbadebo, is the father of Gbadebo III, the current Alake of Egbaland. Following the demise of Oba Gbadebo I in 1920, Oba Ladapo Ademola II became the new Alake on September 27, 1920. He was the son of the past Alake of Egbaland Ademola. The Egba people were initially hesitant to Ademola II's appointment as he had converted to Christianity and was educated in western schools in Lagos. [14] [15] He ruled for 42 years, two of which were spent in exile between 1948 and December 1950. [16] After his death on 27 December 1962, the throne was vacant for one year and on 12 August 1963, Oba Adesina Samuel Gbadebo II was appointed as the new Alake of Egbaland. He was a son of Oba Gbadebo I. [17] After the death of Adesina Samuel Gbadebo on 26 October 1971, Samuel Oyebade Lipede became the king. Lipede was a son of Adebowale Lipede, who was a grandson of Adeluola, a daughter of Oba Jibodu [18] He ruled in this capacity for 33 years until his demise in February 2005, which led to the appointment of Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III [19] [20] [21]
List of Alakes of Ake in Igbo-Egba, pre-1830:
| Alake Dada Ajalake | c.16th century |
| Alake Arokonu (may be the same person as Ajalake) | |
| Alake Ofitete-na-obinrin | |
| Alake A-fi-egungun-tenna | |
| Alake Oyidiyidi-lu-ote | |
| Alake Akurunwon dari ile | |
| Alake Oliyun Arowo | |
| Alake Agbarinmogi | |
| Alake Lupo Mosunleka | mid-late 1600s |
| Alake Laro d'agbabi oba | |
| Alake Mu'jawu Nepo osi | |
| Alake Larun Abenoku Asolagege | from early to mid-1770s |
| Alake Larelu (or Lelu) Erigi afinnikan af'owoseso | mid-1700s |
| Alake Abara-Onika-mogun | |
| Alake Ose-firiro-gbe-edun | |
| Alake Gbogan Abatimo | |
| Alake Osifunwatan ara Igbeti | |
| Alake Gbongbo-bi-irin Atesiwaju-agija | |
| Alake Jibodu Oluyemo Asaramapa | c. 1800 - c. 1815 |
| Alake Okikilu Agunloye-bi-oyinbo | c. 1815-1821 |
List of the Alakes of Egbaland in Abeokuta, originally of Ake:
| Alake Somoye (1st time) -Regent | (1845-1846) |
| Alake Sagbuwa Okunkenu | (28 August 1854 till 31 August 1862) |
| Alake Somoye (2nd time) -Regent | 1862–1866 |
| Alake Ademola I | (28 November 1869 till 30 December 1877) |
| Alake Oyekan | (1 January 1878 till 18 September 1881) |
| Alake Oluwaji | (9 February 1885 till 27 January 1889) |
| Alake Osokalu | (18 September 1891 till 11 June 1898) |
| Alake Gbadebo I | (8 August 1898 till 8 May 1920) |
| Alake Ladapo Ademola II | (10 July 1920 till 27 December 1962) |
| Alake Adesina Samuel Gbadebo II | (12 August 1963 till 26 October 1971) |
| Alake Samuel Oyebade Lipede I | (5 August 1972 till 3 February 2005 |
| Alake Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III | (2 August 2005 till present) |
Omoba Sir Adetokunbo Adegboyega AdemolaSAN was a Nigerian jurist who was the Chief Justice of Nigeria from 1958 to 1972. He was appointed as Chief Justice on 1 April 1958, replacing Sir Stafford Foster Sutton who was retiring. Ademola was a son of Oba Sir Ladapo Ademola II, the Alake of the Egba clan of Nigeria. He was the first chancellor of the University of Benin.
Efunroye Tinubu, born Ẹfúnpọ̀róyè Ọ̀ṣuntinúbú, was a powerful Yoruba female aristocrat, merchant, and slave trader in pre-colonial and colonial Nigeria.
The Egba people are a subgroup of the Yoruba people, an ethnic group of western Nigeria, a majority of whom are from the central part of Ogun State that is Ogun Central Senatorial District.
Oloye Sir Adeyemo Alakija, Listen was a Nigerian lawyer, politician and businessman. He served as a member of the Nigerian legislative council for nine years starting in 1933. In 1942, he became a member of the governor's Executive Council. Alakija was president of Egbe Omo Oduduwa from 1948 until his death in 1952.
Abeokuta is the capital city of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria. It is situated on the east bank of the Ogun River, near a group of rocky outcrops in a wooded savanna; 77 kilometres (48 mi) north of Lagos by railway, or 130 kilometres (81 mi) by water. As of 2006, Abeokuta and the surrounding area had a population of 449,088.
Ijoko is a town in Sango /Ijoko Local Council Development Area of Ogun State, Western Nigeria, located north of Lagos and south of Abeokuta.
The Owu sub-ethnicity is a part of the Yoruba people of West Africa. Ago-Owu in Abeokuta is where the Owus are mostly concentrated, however large Owu settlements are found throughout Yorubaland. The Yoruba confederacy of kingdoms extends beyond the boundaries of Nigeria into the Republic of Benin and Togo.
Gbalefa Peninsula is an area of land located south of Abeokuta and north of Lagos city. Gbalefa Peninsula was named after Akindele Gbalefa, the outstanding Owu warrior who led the Owu/Egba war against Ilobi, Ado-Odo and Dahomey.
Egba Ake, otherwise known as Egba Alake, is one of the five sections of Egbaland, the others being Oke-Ona, Gbagura, the Owu and Ibara. It is a traditional state which joins with its bordering sections to form something of a high kingship. The Alake of Abeokuta, or Alake of Egbaland, is the traditional ruler of the Egba clan of Yoruba in the city of Abeokuta in southwestern Nigeria.
Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III is the current Alake of Egba, a clan in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He has ruled since 2 August 2005.
Oba Sir Ladapo Samuel Ademola KBE, CMG (1872–1962), also known as Ademola II, was the Alake of Abeokuta from 1920 to 1962. Before he was crowned Alake, Ademola was involved in the affairs of the Egba United Government. As a member of the Egba council, he was a leading participant in negotiations with the Lagos State colonial government in 1889 for the rights to construct railway tracks passing through Egbaland. In 1904 he travelled with Alake Gbadebo to the U.K., where they were received by King Edward VII. He succeeded Oba Gbadebo in 1920 with overwhelming votes from the Egba council.
Iju also known as Iju Oloko [idʒou ɔ:lɔkɔ], is a Nigerian town located in southern Ogun state and about 18 kilometers from Lagos state, a major commercial hub in West Africa. The town is inhabited mostly by Owu and Egba natives whose ancestors settled there between 1842 and 1845.
Samuel Adesina Gbadebo, otherwise known as Gbadebo II, was a Nigerian traditional monarch who held the title of Alake of Egbaland. Prior to becoming Alake, Gbadebo organized agricultural shows in the Western region of Nigeria.
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Chief Isaac Oluwole Delano was a Yoruba and Nigerian writer, educationist, political activist, nationalist, radio broadcaster, teacher, and a pioneering linguist and lexicographer of the Yoruba language.
Adegboyega Edun was an Egba official. He served as the secretary of the Egba United Government, a colonial-era Yoruba political entity.
Okukenu Sagbua was a Yoruba Egba chief. He was a founding member of the Ogboni of Egbaland, and also served as the first Alake of Egbaland.
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