In 1990 President … He remains the 40th Oba given the title of Oba of Benin. The present Alaafin of Oyo is Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III. Despite this change, some of these kings have managed to retain power which qualifies them to be listed amongst the most powerful kings in Nigeria. Abubakar is the 20th heir to the two-century-old throne founded by his ancestor, Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio (1754-1817 CE). The Obi of Onitsha is associated with the conduct of essential aspects of Onitsha’s local affairs. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The Alaafin of Oyo, his imperial Majesty Oba (Dr.) Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III is undoubtedly a monarch not with only wit but also with class. Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. The Alaafin title is the official title of the ceremonial ruler of all tribes in Oyo state, Nigeria. Before his ascension to the throne, Mallam Muhammad Sanusi II was a successful banker and the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. The current Alaafin of Oyo is Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, ascended the throne in 1970 after he succeeded Alaafin Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II. We have listed the most powerful kings in Nigeria for your reading pleasure: The Emir of Kano holds the position of the head of the Kano Emirate. He succeeded Alaafin Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II in 1970. The present Oba of Benin is Ewuare II Eheneden Erediauwa. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. He has also, on the throne installed two Aare Ona Kakanfos- M.K.O. He succeeded Alaafin Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II in 1970. The title Alaafin in the Yoruba Language means ‘king or ruler’. The present Olu of Warri is Godfrey Ikenwoli Emoki ‘Ikenwoli I’, who ascended the throne on the 12th December 2015. He had the power of life and death. This throne is often awarded to people considering; their background, popular support, connection, exposure, and financial muscle. His power sometimes covers a reasonable aspect of the whole Igbo ethnic but retains absolute control within the locality of Onitsha in Adamawa state. Commonly referred to as semi-divine, he remains the embodiment of the spirit of the ancestral God. This was as a result of the sudden death of his predecessor, his father. The current Alaafin of Oyo is Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, who ascended the throne in 1970 after he succeeded Alaafin Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II. Lamidi Adeyemi succeeded Alaafin Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II in 1970, during the governorship of Colonel Robert Adeyinka Adebayo, after the end of the Nigerian Civil War. The traditional rulers held significant influence and control over their subjects. The present Etsu Nupe is His royal majesty Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, CFR. He succeeded Alaafin Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II in 1970. A bí Aláàfin Ọ̀yọ́, Ọba Làmídì Ọláyíwọlá Adéyẹmí III ní ọjọ́ kẹẹ̀ẹ́dógún oṣù kẹwàá, ọdún 1938. The current and 51st Ooni of Ile-Ife is Ọọ̀ni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II (an Accountant) and he is also regarded by some to be the traditional ruler of the yoruba land. Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Atanda Adeyemi III succeeded Alaafin Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II as the king of Oyo in the year 1970. The kingmakers choose the new king from any of these families on a rotational basis to ascend the throne upon the death of the monarch. The Olu of Warri remains the head of the itsekiri people. The Obong of Calabar, is the traditional ruler, Treaty King and Grand Patriarch of the Efik Kingdom. The present ooni of ife is Ojaja II Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. These kings remain the heads of their various tribes. In recognition of his sterling contribution to national development, he was bestowed with Officer of the Federal Republic, OFR, by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. The Obas of Lagos all trace their lineage to Ashipa, a war captain of the Oba of Benin. The kingdom of Warri has remained predominantly Christian since the ascension of the first Christian King Sebastian I ‘King Oba Atorongboye’ in 1570. The Obi of Onitsha while being the traditional leader of Onitsha is also regarded as a representative of the Igbo people. In 1975 the head of state General Murtala Ramat Mohammed included Oba Adeyemi in his entourage to the hajj. The current Alaafin of Oyo is Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III and he ascended the throne in 1970 succeeding Alaafin Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II. The Oba of Lagos throne does not possess any political power, yet politicians still approach him for political advice. Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III ascended the throne of his father who had earlier ruled as Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Adeyemi II Adeniran. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. His son, the present Alaafin succeeded Oba Gbadegesin Ladigbolu on November 8, 1970. This Emir of Kano title commands a lot of respect from Muslims all over the country; the position has a lot of power in it as the words of the holder become law when applied within its jurisdiction. Lamidi Adeyemi succeeded Alaafin Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II on 19 November, 1970, during the governorship of Colonel Robert Adeyinka Adebayo, after the end of the Nigerian Civil War. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "afd2f592d44342690f87db55678c92e7" );document.getElementById("b6d63ff9b7").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Top 10 richest footballers in Nigeria Right Now, The Official Ranks In The Nigerian Police Force, 10 Best States For NYSC and How Much They Pay Corpers. Bello Gbadegesin(Ladigbolu II) – July 20 1956- 1968; Adeyemi III-Present Alafin of Oyo(14 Jan. 1971- Till Date. He is the head of the historic Eweka dynasty of the Benin Empire (one of the oldest and most highly developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa, dating perhaps to the eleventh century CE) a West in modern-day Nigeria. There are two accounts of Oranmiyan’s demise, Some say he went further East, leaving his son, Ajaka, in charge of Oyo, and stopping at a town called Oko, from where he could not proceed and so, died and was buried there. The Ooni of Ife. On his part, Oba Adeyemi has installed two Aare Ona … They serve as presidents of the customary courts, charged with the responsibility of deciding on matrimonial cases, land cases, boundary, and communal disputes. His son, the present Alaafin succeeded Oba Gbadegesin Ladigbolu on November 8, 1970. Formed in 1805, the kano Emirate came into existence after Fulani Jihad when the old Hausa Sultanate of Kano became subject to the Sokoto Caliphate. Oba Adeyemi is a product of St. Gregory College, Lagos and it is from that school he was taught the tenets of Christianity, although he is a Muslim. He gains this position by lineage. Oranmiyan, the Benin Empire’s first Oba, created the title of Oba when the title still had ‘Ogiso’ as its name. Shortly after he ascended the throne, he was included in the entourage of late General Murtala Muhammed to hajj in 1975 and was later appointed … The Warri kingdom is a part of the traditional state in the town of Warri in Delta State, Nigeria. The institution of kingship evolved from communities that have been in existence even before modern Nigeria was formed. Etsu Nupe is the leader of the Nupe people and also the Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers. His grandfather, King Ovonramwen, who died in 1914, was dethroned and deported to Calabar where he … The present Oba of Lagos is Oba Rilwan Akiolu, who succeeded his predecessor in May 2003. The present Olubadan is Oba Saliu Adetinji, who ascended the throne in 2016. A recipient of several local and international awards, including the global award for Central Bank Governor of the Year, as well as for Central Bank Governor of the Year for Africa by The global financial intelligence magazine, The Banker magazine, published by the Financial Times. He is also called ‘Iku baba yeye,’ meaning the king who can command death. The caliph of Sokoto, locally known as ‘Sarkisian Musulmi,’ had absolute power among the rulers in central Sudan. 4. Ascension to the Throne Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar IV is the 20th Sultan of Sokoto. The Ọọ̀ni of Ilé-Ifẹ̀ is the traditional ruler of, Ile-Ife in Osun State popularly known as the home of Yorubas. 6. A career diplomat,  he worked at the United Nations between 1981 and 1982. The Obi is often called Igwe or sky and many more. A career officer in the Nigeria Army, he rose to the position of Brigadier General and was the Director of Peace Keeping Operations at Army Headquarters (AHQ), before his ascension unto the throne in July 2003. Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Atanda Adeyemi III is a … The current Sultan is Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar IV, born on 24th August 1956, who succeeded his late brother Muhammadu Maccido who lost his life in the ADC Airline flight 53 flight. Born on October 15, 1938, Oba Adeyemi attended St. Gregory’s College, Ikoyi, Lagos. He retired as Assistant Comptroller-General, Administration, Nigeria Customs Headquarters, Abuja in May 2008. 3. They also had a stronghold in their various locations bringing about peace and orderliness among the people. 3. You should also read our piece on the wealthiest families in Nigeria right now. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Alaafin Lamidi Olayiwola was crowned the rightful heir to the Oyo Empire which had existed for over 600 years on January 14, 1971. The current Alaafin of Oyo is Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III and he ascended the throne in 1970 succeeding Alaafin Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II. In this write-up, we will look at ten of the most powerful traditional rulers in Nigeria (listed alphabetically). Emir Sanusi is the grandson of Muhammad Sanusi I (The 11th Fulani Emir of Kano). These powerful kings in Nigeria using their power still strongly influence things in the country, even its politics. The present Alaafin of Oyo is Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III. The former Oba of Benin, Oba Uku Akpolokpolo, Omo n’Oba n’Edo, Akenzua II (1899-1978) was another one. The Oba of Lagos holds the position of the traditional and sovereign figure in the city of Lagos, one of the largest cities in Africa. … After the fall of the old Oyo empire, the title was retained as the official title of the ruler of the contemporary Oyo town in Oyo state, Nigeria. Gbadegesin Ladigbolu was enthroned as the new Alaafin of Oyo till 1970. The current Alaafin of Oyo is Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, who ascended the throne in 1970 after he succeeded Alaafin Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II. He is the 14th Emir of Kano. The Alaafin of Oyo possesses other names through which the people refer them to, like ‘kabiyesi,’ meaning the king who can question. The Alaafin of Oyo, his imperial Majesty Oba (Dr.) Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III is undoubtedly a monarch not with only wit but also with class. And manager, he was an absolute king ; his word was law Ikenwoli I,. 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