By Olawunmi Samuel Omo’ba Anikinaiya, Ijebu-Ode.
The recent controversy surrounding Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde’s claim to the Fusengbuwa Ruling House has uncovered a more sinister issue – the concern is no more about Kwam 1 but rivalry amongst the lineages of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
Fusengbuwa and Fidipote are two of the four Ruling Houses of the Awujale of Ijebuland, with peculiar historical events. The current claims and counter-claims to Fusengbuwa Ruling House is traceable to the co-existence of both Jadiara descendants and the Fusengbuwa Ruling House within the same Agunsenbi Quarters, Ijebu-Ode.
Similar to the case of Fusengbuwa, the Ojigi Amoyegeso and Fidipote Ruling House both co-exist within the Fidipote section of Idewon Quarters, Ijebu-Ode.
Though the Fusengbuwa Ruling House by tradition and law are ineligible to the Jadiara’s Dagburewe of Idowa throne, it dictated and selected who becomes the Dagburewe amongst Jadiara descendants until 1954, when the Jadiara descendants rejected the Fusengbuwa’s candidate and chose for themselves.
Contrary to a recent publication by Amotekun Oodua TV and some other online platforms, The generally acknowledged lineages of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House are eight:
1. Olufadekemi (Male Abidaagba)
2. Adesimbo Tunwase (Male Abidaagba)
3. Ushenowo (Female Abidaagba)
4. Okuyandewo (Female Abidaagba)
5. Adebiyi (Female Abidaagba)
6. Oshinuga (Male Abidoye)
7. Adekenu (Female Abidoye)
8. Adeberu (Female)
It is thus shocking to see online platforms circulating false claims that OSHINUGA is an Abidaagba lineage against its actual Abidoye status. Also falsely circulated was a claim that there are closed lineages within the Fusengbuwa Ruling House. The authors of the publication must have either been misled or doing a badly packaged hatchet job, for how on earth would lineages from which candidates are contesting be addressed as closed and described as having no descendants.
For the records, the Olori Ebi, Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Otunba Lateef Owoyemi and one of the candidates for the Awujale throne, Prince Adebowale Ogunwo, an accomplished young man by all standards are both from the Adebiyi (Usenbanke) lineage of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
Similarly, Otunba Adedokun Ajidagba, Deputy Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House hails from the Adeberu lineage of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, it is thus a height of mischief for anyone or group to decide to rewrite the history, lineage and circumstances of birth of the various lineages within the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
These are facts long known to the public and on record, which no one can alter to suit his or her personal ambition. For the records, ABIDAAGBAS are children who the Awujale gave birth to while on the throne as the Awujale of Ijebuland. On the other hand, ABIDOYES are children who the Awujale had given birth to before he became the Awujale of Ijebuland. Oshinuga was the first child of Awujale Fusengbuwa but not an Abidaagba.
It is certain that the latest development may not be unconnected with certain quarters’ realization of the edge which the Abidaagba lineages have in the ongoing contest as spelt out in the 1957 Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Declaration.
The purveyors of inaccurate narratives as that under review should note that it casts doubt on their integrity rather than that of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House or the Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy.
The question is: Will the purveyors listen to the voice of reasoning, or will they allow personal interests to dictate the course of history? Only time will tell.
References:
1. History of Oba Fusengbuwa by Fusengbuwa Ruling House (92/98).
2. High Court Judgment in Suit: HCJ/18/2018: Otunba Abdulateef Adebayo Owoyemi & Ors. Vrs. Otunba M.O Balogun & 1Or.
3. Appeal Court, Ibadan Judgment in Suit: HCJ/18/2018: Otunba Abdulateef Adebayo Owoyemi & Ors. Vrs. Otunba M.O Balogun & 1Or.
4. Ije Prof 1: 524 Vol. II: The Brief Traditional History of Oba Otutubiosun, The Dagburewe of Idowa. NAI.
