Royal families in Osogbo have called on the Osun State Government to reinstate the Ataoja of Osogbo to his rightful position as the fourth-ranking monarch in the Osun State Council of Obas, arguing that the Oluwo of Iwo is historically, traditionally, and legally unqualified to occupy that position.
The families expressed concern that the Ataoja’s long-held fourth position in the traditional hierarchy had been replaced by the Oluwo of Iwo, describing the development as “an anomaly” that must be urgently corrected.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Aruru Gbaemu compound in Osogbo on Tuesday, representatives of the Sogbo, Lahanmi, and Matanmi royal families urged Governor Ademola Adeleke to restore the Ataoja’s ranking to its original status.
Reading a joint address on behalf of the families, Prince Lekan Salami stated that the Ataoja of Osogbo is a direct descendant of Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba race, and therefore holds seniority over the Oluwo of Iwo.
Salami explained that the first Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Larooye, was the fifth generation after Oduduwa and that occupants of the throne have always worn the beaded Are crown and wielded the Opaga staff—symbols of ancient royal authority that attest to the seniority of the Osogbo throne.
He argued that, by contrast, the Oluwo of Iwo traces his lineage maternally to Oduduwa through his mother, Ooni Luwo Gbagida, the only female Ooni of Ife.
“The first Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Adekola Telu, was the son of Ooni Luwo Gbagida. While this gives him a maternal link to Oduduwa, he has no paternal affinity with him. The Ataoja, however, descends directly from Ajibogun, the first Owa Obokun of Ijesaland and a son of Okanbi, the only son of Oduduwa,” Salami said.
To support their claims, the royal families presented copies of colonial-era correspondence, including letters numbered 1985/433 dated May 3, 1948, and 1372/164 dated June 28, 1948. Both letters, titled “Chiefs Wearing Beaded Crowns,” were addressed to colonial administrators and listed Ataoja as number one under the Ibadan Division category, while the Oluwo of Iwo was listed as number seven.
According to the families, the traditional hierarchy at the time placed the Ooni of Ife, Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, and Orangun of Ila as the top three monarchs, with the Ataoja of Osogbo ranked fourth.
“This has been the established order from the colonial era through the administration of Governor Bisi Akande. It was only during the tenure of Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola that the hierarchy was altered in favour of the Oluwo of Iwo, when the late Ataoja, Oba Aransi Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi III, was out of the country,” the statement noted.
The royal families urged Governor Adeleke to restore the long-standing order, stating, “Our demand is simple: that the historical fourth position of the Ataoja of Osogbo in the hierarchy of Osun Obas be respected and reinstated as recorded in official documents.”
They added that reinstating the Ataoja’s position would not only preserve historical accuracy but also reinforce fairness and traditional integrity in the state’s chieftaincy system.
