30/09/2026
AYABA OLAJUMOKE SOLAPE AWENI-ORI AROLU: The Saki Princess Who Birthed a Dynasty
Oyo is the ancestral home of Yoruba heritage, and the Alaafin of Oyo, as Emperor of the Old Oyo Empire, remains the custodian of our tradition and culture. As the Yoruba proverb says, _"nibi gereje laa ba agba"_ (the place of crisis is where we find an elder), Oyo continues to play its fatherly role across its territory (the Old Oyo Empire). The Alaafin has been instrumental in using Yoruba culture to unite all Yoruba sub-ethnic groups as one, so we do not forget our roots. Thus, most of our traditions are showcased to the world to demonstrate the richness of our culture and to encourage this generation to embrace its heritage, as Yoruba also says, _"orisa ti a n bo ti a fi han omo eni, orisa oun a parun"_ (the deity we worship but fail to show our children will be forgotten).
I recently came across a write-up titled โAYABA SOLAPE AWERO: A WOMAN OF ROYAL DESTINYโ โ a play staged by TAMPAN Oyo Zone in remembrance of a great Ayaba of the Oyo Empire, directed by Yomi Duro Ladipo. In that write-up, two paragraphs claimed that Ayaba Solape was a native of Iwo and that a warrior from Iwo fathered her.
These paragraphs are fallacious, fuzzy, and questionable. Who was that warrior? What was his name? What contribution did he render to his native town and to Yorubaland before he emerged as a warrior or hero? As Akin Aderibigbe (2019, p.7) rightly notes, โTo assemble the facts, it is almost inevitable not to rely heavily on informal sources of information to a significant level.โ This is the right time to shun old wivesโ tales and adhere to the truth.
Ayaba Solape was from the Arolu family of Saki. Her father, with the support of Chief Falade, the Baale Agbele of Saki, gave his daughter to Alaafin Lawani Agogo-Ija to marry as Ayaba Alaafin, in a bid to reunite their mutual relationship so that distance would not discord their unity.
The Arolu family was among the people who followed Moromola. Moromola, who was born into the family that holds the title of Olokun-esin (one of the principal officers to the Alaafin of Oyo), left Oyo-Ile to found Agbele-Ile around 1797. Marpet (1978) remarks that โmigration has played essential roles in all stages of the history of man right from the commercial tribal formation up to the era of class formation.โ Similarly, Akin Aderibigbe (2025) states that โit has also been part of Yoruba life as evident in the migratory history of different people to Saki from the nuclei of Ile-Ife and Oyo-Ile.โ
Moromola Isola (Baale 1797โ1815) initially had difficulty taking a wife until Ifa prescribed sacrifices. Afterwards, he married many women, which gave rise to the saying _โIyawo di Agbele โra wonโ_ (marrying wives upon wives), from which the name Agbele is said to derive. The settlement was fruitful and prosperous until Fulani Jihadists sacked the community, and Awebi-Abere (1856โ1876), the 6th Baale of Agbele-Ile, led his people to Saki as refugees. After the death of Awebi-Abere, Olakuleyin (1876โ1899) ascended the throne. He returned to rebuild Agbele-Ile in 1897; some people followed him to Agbele-Ile while others remained at Agbele-Saki.
Baale Falade (1899โ1930), who succeeded Olakuleyin, convened a meeting to reunite Agbele with their ancestral place, Oyo. The outcome of the meeting was the giving of Olajumoke Solape Aweni-ori of the Arolu family in marriage to Alaafin Lawani Agogo-Ija (1905โ1911). Ayaba Olajumoke Solape Aweni-ori Arolu gave birth to two princes: Prince Siyanbola Ladigbolu and Prince Aderonmu Owoade.
She later became Iya Lagbon when her son, Prince Siyanbola Oladigbolu, ascended the Alaafin stool. Since then, the Arolu family has been called the Iya-Lagbon family, hence the proverb: _โIya Lagbon lo ni Agbele, e ma fโoju dudu wo luuru.โ_ The Arolu family later adopted Prince Layan Oladigbolu (1940), grandson of Olajumoke, who lived at Agbele-Saki.
In 1956, following the demise of Alaafin Adeniran Adeyemi II in 1955, Bello Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II ascended the throne. He was the grandson of Ayaba Solape Arolu and son of Alaafin Siyanbola Ladigbolu.
Thereafter, Alaafin Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III Atanda, Omo Ibironke, reigned for a remarkable 52 years (1970-2022) before joining his ancestors. He has now been succeeded by the great-grandson of Ayaba Solape Arolu through her second son, Prince Aderonmu Owoade Elewu Etu - His Imperial Majesty, Iku Baba Yeye, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, the present Alaafin of Oyo.
By G.H.A. Omo-Olowo-Isembaye, OAP
