Oyo State prepares for a coronation steeped in heritage, tradition, and the enduring roots of the ancient town.
The Oyo State Government is set to formally install and crown the Oloja of Ago-Oja, Oba Abdul Ganiyu Ajiboye Busari, Arogundade II (Omo Aládíkún Aládé Sésèfun), in a ceremony that promises to be both historic and culturally profound.
The coronation is scheduled for 13 February at Olivet High School, Oyo, with dignitaries, traditional rulers, and cultural enthusiasts expected to grace the occasion.
Ago-Oja occupies a revered place in the historical narrative of Oyo. Widely acknowledged as the original landowner of the area now known as Oyo Atiba, Ago-Oja played a pivotal role during a defining moment in Yoruba history. Following the collapse of the Old Oyo Empire in the aftermath of the Fulani wars, displaced Oyo people were left without a permanent homeland. In an extraordinary act of generosity and kinship, Ago-Oja offered its land as a place of refuge—land that would later evolve into modern-day Oyo town.
In the same spirit of goodwill, the Adé Sésèfun of Aládíkún was traditionally loaned to Alaafin Atiba, who was a son-in-law to Oja, who established the present Ago-D’Oyo that is currently headed by the Alaafin. However, Ade Seseefun, which was loaned to Abiodun Atiba through Aladikun, who was a daughter to Oja, was never returned to the Aládíkún lineage. The struggle to reclaim the said crown led to the deaths of Oja, his immediate younger brother, Elebu. All these culminated in the conflict between late Amuda Olorunkosebi and Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, which allegedly led to the brutal assassination of late High Chief Amuda Olorunkosebi, the then Ashipa of Oyo.
Undoubtedly, the installation of Alago Oja as a crowned monarch represents a formal acknowledgement of history, heritage, and long-standing tradition.
It is important to note that this recognition, elevation and renaming of the title of “Ashipa of Oyo” to the original traditional title of “Oloja of Ago-Oja” was what the immediate past Ashipa of Oyo, Late High Chief Amuda Okunade Olorunkosebi, fought for during his lifetime.
For many, the realisation of this long-awaited recognition is nothing short of providential, a reclaiming of identity and honour within a living generation.
Congratulations to Kabiyesi, Oba Abdul Ganiyu Ajiboye Busari, Arogundade II, and to the proud, resilient people of Ago-Oja, Oyo, as they witness the restoration and celebration of their royal legacy, a powerful reminder that history, when honoured, can still find its rightful place in the present.
