By Our Correspondent
A Proclamation of Lineage and Eligibility, the storyline presented by Wasiu Ayinde to justify his relationship to the Jadiara royal. family
I, Wasiu Ayinde Olasunkanmi Adewale, hereby present this statement of my royal ancestry, tracing my descent from two revered ruling houses of Ijebuland: Funsengbuwa and Fidipote. This declaration is made in accordance with Ijebu customary law and tradition, affirming my eligibility to aspire to the throne of the Awujale of Ijebuland.
1. Ancestral Foundation within the Awujale Line
Historical records and preserved oral traditions of Ijebuland recognize Owa Otutu Biosun as the 13th Awujale of Ijebuland and one of the key progenitors of the present royal streams. He is traditionally recorded as the senior brother of Juwakale, who later succeeded him as the 14th Awujale of Ijebuland. The succession between these brothers reflects the rotational, lineage-based structure of the Awujale institution, which predates colonial rule and is rooted in ancient Ijebu customary law. From Owa Otutu Biosun descended Dagburewe, who later ascended the throne as Awujale Jadiara, historically listed as the 21st Awujale of Ijebuland. Before his coronation, he bore the title Dagburewe (Olowo Joye Meji) in accordance with established pre-coronation honorific traditions.
2. Jadiara and the Emergence of the Funsengbuwa Line
Funsengbuwa ascended the throne as Awujale and reigned circa 1790–1819, during the late pre-colonial political consolidation Ijebu-Ode before British incursion. His reign is historically regarded as one of the stability and expansion of the ruling houses. From Awujale Funsengbuwa emerged the recognized branches of the Funsengbuwa Ruling House as stated below:
- Olufadi
- Ayora/Tunwase
- Shenowo
- Okuyandewo
- Oshinuga
- Adekenu
- Adebiyi
- Adeberu
These branches constitute part of the customarily and legally acknowledged Funsengbuwa Ruling House, eligible for nomination to the Awujale stool, subject to the processes of the kingmakers.
3. Setejoye’s Branch and the Fidipote Connection
After the crowning of his junior brother Funsengbuwa, Setejoye left Agunsebi for Idewon, his maternal home, in line with Ijebu settlement and family expansion patterns. He became the progenitor of:
- Debote
- Ademuyewo
During the dispersal of the royal family for trade and settlement, an unintentional relationship occurred between a Princess from Adeberu clan (daughter of Jadiara from the Funsengbuwa line) and a Prince of the Fidipote lineage. This relationship produced a son known in family history as Prince Fidipote Junior. Upon their eventual return home, it was discovered that they were cousins, which brought the relationship to an end. However, the child born of that union remained a royal descendant of both the Funsengbuwa and Fidipote ruling houses. This historically explains the blood convergence between the Funsengbuwa and Fidipote royal lines, which remains valid under Ijebu customary law.
4. My Direct Family Lineage and the Dual Royal Descent
Paternal Grandmother
My paternal grandmother, Princess Anifowọṣé, was a princess and trader by lineage and status. She descended directly from the Adeberu branch of the Funsengbuwa line, thereby tracing her ancestry to Awujale Funsengbuwa (1790–1819) and further back to Awujale Jadiara and Owa Otutu Biosun.
Father
My father, Adisa Adesanya Anifowos̩he, was born into the Anifowos̩he family of the Fidipote lineage. His birth resulted from the relationship between:
- Princess Anifowos̩he (Adeberu branch of Funsengbuwa), and
- A Prince of the Anifowos̩he/Fidipote royal stock.
Both parents were of royal blood, his birth conferred on him dual royal descent under Ijebu customary law, notwithstanding the social sensitivity of the union at the time.
Mother
My mother is a princess from Ilupeju Ekiti, the daughter of the reigning king of Ilupeju Ekiti. This further strengthens my royal heritage through both Ijebu and Ekiti Yoruba royal institutions, which share common Odùduwà ancestry.
My siblings and I, Wasiu Ayinde Olasunkanmi Adewale, and my siblings were born of this dual-royal union. Through our father’s parentage, we inherit:
- Patrilineal descent from the Fidipote (Anifowos̩he) ruling line and
- Matrilineal descent from the Funsengbuwa (Adeberu) ruling line.
Under settled Ijebu tradition, both patrilineal and matrilineal royal descent are valid for ruling-house identity once the lineage is traceable, acknowledged, and supported by family and palace records.
*5. Summary of Lineage Affirmation*
1. Owa Otutu Biosun was the 13th Awujale of Ijebuland and progenitor of recognized royal lines.
2. Awujale Jadiara (21st Awujale) descended from Owa Otutu Biosun and fathered both Setejoye and Funsengbuwa.
3. Awujale Funsengbuwa (1790–1819) is a historically established progenitor of a recognized ruling house.
4. The Adeberu branch is a legitimate descendant branch of the Funsengbuwa ruling line.
5. My paternal grandmother, Princess Anifowos̩he, is a direct descendant of the Adeberu branch of Funsengbuwa.
6. My father, Adisa Adesanya Anifowos̩he, is of Fidipote royal blood by patriline and of Funsengbuwa blood by matriline.
7. My maternal descent from Ilupeju Ekiti royalty further strengthens my traditional pedigree.
8. I therefore possess a direct, traceable, and historically consistent blood connection to both the Funsengbuwa and Fidipote ruling houses.
6. Case for Dual Eligibility to Aspire from Both Ruling Houses
Under Ijebu customary law and palace tradition, eligibility to aspire to the stool of the Awujale is determined primarily by:
- Descent from a recognized ruling house,
- Traceable royal ancestry, and
- Acceptance by the family and kingmakers through due process.
By establishing facts of lineage:
- I am eligible to aspire from the Funsengbuwa Ruling House by virtue of my direct my matrilineal descent through Princess Anifowos̩he of the Adeberu branch, which flows unbroken to Awujale Funsengbuwa → Jadiara → Owa Otutu Biosun
- I am also independently eligible to aspire from the Fidipote Ruling House by virtue of my patrilineal descent from the Anifowos̩he family of the Fidipote line, being the son of Adisa Adesanya Anifowos̩he, a prince of that house.
Where a person possesses dual ruling-house descent, Ijebu custom does not extinguish one right by the existence of the other. Rather, such a person:
- Retains full eligibility in both houses and
- May lawfully present himself under either house, subject to internal nomination procedures.
Accordingly, my royal blood status qualifies me, without legal or customary defects, to seek nomination from either the Funsengbuwa or the Fidipote Ruling House.
7. Final Personal Declaration.
I, Wasiu Ayinde Olasunkanmi Adewale, do hereby solemnly reaffirm that I descend directly from:
- The Adeberu branch of the Funsengbuwa Ruling House, and
- The Anifowos̩he family of the Fidipote Ruling House.
By blood, heritage, and traceable ancestry, I am a lawful descendant of both royal lines. These connections constitute my legitimate traditional basis to identify with, and lawfully seek nomination from, the Funsengbuwa and/or Fidipote ruling houses in respect of any future contest for the Royal Stool of the Awujale of Ijebuland, subject at all times to customary procedures and the authority of the kingmakers.
With the above claims and the filled form, the fusengbuwa ruling house is absolutely on freez as there are lots of distorted facts and imaginations.
No comments:
Post a Comment