Olubadan installs Chief Isiaka Adebayo as Mọgaji of Ilé-Ayẹyẹ
By Adejayan Gbenga –
Chief Isiaka Adegoke Adebayo was formally installed as the Mọgaji of Ilé-Ayẹyẹ in Ibadanland by His Imperial Majesty, Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakulehin, the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
The ceremony, held on Monday, June 16, 2025, at the Olubadan Palace, Oke-Arẹmọ, was conducted in the presence of the Olubadan-in-Council and witnessed by dignitaries from across the state and beyond.
The installation marks the return of traditional leadership to Ilé-Ayẹyẹ, which had been without a Mọgaji since 1973.
Speaking to the press at the event, Akogun Ṣegun Obe, the Olori Ẹbi (Head of the Family) of Ilé-Ayẹyẹ and former Secretary-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), said, “Our progenitor, Ayẹyẹ, was a brave warrior from Ọ̀yọ́-Ilé who chose to remain in Ìbàdàn after the Owu War of 1810. The city was originally a war camp, formed by warriors from Ọ̀yọ, Ifẹ, and Ijẹbu.”
He continued, “Among the key figures in that historic settlement were warriors like Mayẹ, Ẹgẹ, Labọsinde, Oluyole, Ogidi, and our own Ayẹyẹ. It was Ayẹyẹ who started the Ayẹyẹ Market that still exists today within our compound.”
The last person to hold the title of Mọgaji of Ilé-Ayẹyẹ was Chief Yussuf Mogbọnjubọla, who was installed in the early 1950s and passed away on January 23, 1973. The position remained vacant for over 50 years until Chief Adebayo’s installation.
Chief Isiaka Adebayo, from the Adebayo section of the Ayẹyẹ Dynasty, joins a lineage comprising four family branches: Mogbọnjubọla, Òbé, Adebayo, and Alarape. He is also a prominent member of the Ibadan House of Lords, a respected affiliate of the CCII.
In his remarks, the new Mọgaji expressed gratitude and pledged to serve with integrity while preserving and celebrating the legacy of his ancestors, especially Baba Ayẹyẹ.
