History will not forget a king whose tenure is peaceful, the same way bittered reigned King can’t be forgotten .
Anyone above 40 years of age must have heard about the Late Oba Siyanbola Oladigbolu. Maybe you have forgotten, let me quickly remind you. Late oba Siyanbola Oladigbolu was referenced by renowned abeokuta yoruba writer, JF ODUNJO, in alawiye iwe kefa yoruba text book. Oba ladigbolu’s history is always on the lips of historians because of the pivotal roles he played in the old Niger area now known as Nigeria ( He ) oba Abubakar siyanbola Oladigbolu was the 40th alaafin of oyo in 1911 when Northern/Southern Protectorate and lagos colony became one indivisible family called Nigeria of today. His reign was very peaceful.
His relationship with Captain Williams Ross was very cordial. Captain Ross was the administrative colonial residence. remember, Professor wole soyinka’s King, and the horsemen book is all about the same late Alaafin Oladigbolu.
The recently produced movie titled “elesin oba (the Kings horsemen)” is a comprehensive history of the same Alaafin. No one understands the mystery surrounding his exit on the 19th of December 1944.
Alaafin ladigbolu was a powerful and highly influential king with so much respect across the borders. He was nicknamed many names such as Baba naijiriyah in the North, (ore ajele pataki toun be lajule orun ) Literally means the bosom friend of Captain Ross. He was honoured with commander of St Michael and St George (CMG) by colonial masters. CMG honour is now equivalent to Knight or SIR.
We have so many histories that referred to the late alaafin oladigbolu as the only monach in Yorubaland present during Nigeria amalgamation in 1914 .
Ladigbolu I was close to the colonial authorities and was appointed as a ceremonial member of the Nigerian Council before it was disbanded in 1923.
Oba ladigbolu supplied armies men, women, and food to fight at First World War. Oyo province, consisting of Ibadan, Ogbomoso, Iwo, and Oyo, was carved out of Southern Nigeria and Ladigbolu. He was appointed the traditional head of the province .
79 years after the passing away of the great monarch. His biological grandson , Prince Siyanbola Oladigbolu, is one of the front line contenders to the vacant stool of Alaafin of oyo. The young prince siyanbola is always on media to defend his candidacy and say the reason why he should be installed as the new Alaafin.
Siyanbola Jnr, a mariner and real estate developer, always has something new to tell you whenever he’s approached about yoruba culture and history. He could tell you how sango relocated from point a to z. I sometimes wonder if his historical exposure is natural. The way he narrates yoruba history as if he was there is what bavels the general public . The one that got people crazy most was how he was able to prove the 700 years uninterrupted raign of Supreme oyo empire. The youngest contender to the stool of alaafin made it known to yorubas that the oyo Empire is the only empire across West Africa as of the 13th century. He further stated that the Mali empire, Ghana empire, and other empire we heard of today actually began their journey from being a kingdom and soared to the status of empire by conquest. It took each of those empire Minimum of 35 years to summon the courage and audacity to attack territories in their surroundings. But the oyo empire was never in the status of the kingdom. After the formation, immediately, oyos started conquering from oyo-ile to every territory of their choice and rulled them for solid 700 years uninterrupted. The age difference between mali and oyo was just 65 years, and mali was not an empire then, but a kingdom. Sundiata Keita , the first rulers of the Shongai kingdom, was born in the early 13th century to melinke extraction, which originally belonged to part of the Ghana kingdom and laterpart of self acclaimed ghana empire. When oyos had already been recognised as an empire. Ghana was a hold kingdom that existed between 830CE and ended 1235CE. The hold ghana is not the present day ghana , but wagadou and awkar. Mali kingdom was established undoubtedly in 1135 and lasts for 600 years, confirmed. But the oyo empire is never a kingdom. The only difference between oyo and mali was just that oyo has been an empire for over 110 years before the mali kingdom became an empire. Finally, oyo was still intact for about 70 years after the mali empire collapsed in the late early 18th century.
It was abubakar kankan musa, aka, mansa musa who is even a great-great grandson to the first duther of sundiata (the father of the most popular sundiata)that achieved the status empire in 14th century. a maternal prince , who paved his way to the throne,Mansa musa died in 1337 at the age of 57 years, when aganjusola was already the 5th Alaafin The issue remain the fcct that people failed to understand the difference between a kingdom and an empire. That’s why they mixed histories with self acclaimation. The first person that wrote about Songhai and mali Empire was an Islamic scholar (bun khalduun) all because mali was a majorly Muslim kingdom, which is why he ( bun khalduu) attributed glory to mali and shongai Islam was no where to be found at that time in oyo untill 15th century During the Raign of Alaafin Eguguojo who donated land to Mali Muslim translantic traders to build the first Mosque in oyo-ile (Yorubaland) in15-55.
The yoruba culture of accommodations doesn’t just start today. Our fathers are highly receptive, and that’s why we are loved everywhere across the universe. The same spirit of accommodating is what I will portraits if I become the new alaafin.
