By Adeola Badru

The Olufadegin family of Alekuso, Ibadan South-East Local Government Area of Oyo State has accused the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, of attempting to impose Mr Fatai Omosanjo Amzat as the family’s Mogaji, warning that the move could trigger a crisis within the lineage.

The allegation was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by Elder Dauda Adesina on behalf of the family in Ibadan, in which the family appealed to the monarch to withdraw Amzat’s name from the list of proposed compound heads to be installed, insisting that the selection of a Mogaji is an internal family affair.

The statement recalled that the last Mogaji of the Olufadegin family was the late Seriki Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo, who died on April 4, 2025.

Adeojo was also a former Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party and the party’s governorship candidate in Oyo State.

According to the family, the contest to succeed the late Mogaji was between Mr Akeem Adeojo and Mr Fatai Omosanjo Amzat, with Akeem Adeojo emerging victorious in the first election conducted under the supervision of the Mogaji Committee.

It, however, alleged that Amzat rejected the result, prompting a second election which ended in a tie.

The family said: “Selection of Mogaji is within the family, and we have two contestants namely Akeem Adeojo and Fatai Omosanjo Amzat.“

“In the first election, Akeem Adeojo defeated Fatai Omosanjo Amzat. But he (Fatai Omosanjo Amzat) disagreed. We went for another election which resulted to draw-draw.”

The statement further alleged that instead of allowing a third ballot to resolve the contest, one of the family elders, Lateef Busari, sought to influence the process in favour of Amzat.

“Instead of going for third one, one of our elders, Lateef Busari, in the family wanted him (Omosanjo Amzat) to be the candidate chosen, and said he would go at any length even to meet the traditional ruler one on one as well as using his personal relationship with the monarch to influence Omosanjo’s emergence,” the statement alleged.

The family claimed it was surprised when Amzat’s name appeared on the list of compound heads to be installed by the Olubadan, rather than the monarch inviting both contestants and members of the family to resolve the dispute.

“To our amazement, our Baba, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, had listed Omosanjo as one of the Compound Heads to be installed. We expected our revered monarch to invite the two contestants and family members for a meeting; he now wanted to impose him on us,” the statement said.  

Appealing directly to the traditional ruler, the family maintained that the alleged imposition violated Ibadan tradition and urged him to allow the family to choose its own Mogaji.

“They should allow us to pick our own Mogaji by ourselves. Imposing someone on us is against the tradition of Ibadanland.“

“We are now appealing to our revered monarch, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, to drop the name of Fatai Omosanjo Amzat among the proposed Compound Heads to be installed in order to avoid crisis within the Olufadegin family,” the statement read.

The family further alleged that the Olubadan-in-Council had already finalised the list of Mogajis for installation before the monarch allegedly sought to include his preferred candidate.

It also linked the development to what it described as the monarch’s longstanding political differences with the late Yekini Adeojo.

“He was against our late Mogaji, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo, politically till he died. He should allow us to rest. Why will he impose someone on us?” the statement queried.