Asiwaju of Ijesaland
The story of Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi’s emergence as the Asiwaju of Ijesaland is a story of recognition, traditional authority, community consultation and a growing commitment to the development of the Ijesa people.
The Making of a Community Leader
Long before the title became formally associated with his name, Olayinka Fasuyi had established himself as a respected Ijesa indigene and community figure. The journey that eventually led to his installation as Asiwaju began in an unexpected way at his 60th birthday celebration in 2015.
The Beginning: A Title Heard at a Birthday Celebration
In October 2015, Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi celebrated his 60th birthday. One of the highlights of the celebration was a performance by the legendary Juju musician, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi.
During his performance, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey repeatedly referred to Olayinka Fasuyi as “Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi.”
Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi
Consultant · Educator · Community Leader
Chief Consultant, Supreme Management Training and Consultancy Services Ltd. President/CEO and founder, Ibadan Business School. Asiwaju of Ijesaland.
The repeated use of the title attracted attention. A few days after the celebration, some of Olayinka Fasuyi’s elder brothers in Lagos contacted him, asking when he had become a chief and when he had been conferred with the title of Asiwaju.
The explanation was that Commander Ebenezer Obey had long used the title in reference to Olayinka Fasuyi’s position as the coordinator of the Ibadan Group of Four, comprising Olayinka Fasuyi, Chief Tunde Falasinnu, Bashorun Rotimi Obeisun and Chief Akinwale Sodipo.
But the events of that birthday celebration gave the title a new significance.
Among those present was an Ijesa chief, Chief Lorunyi Ayo Agbede. Impressed by the stature and standing of Olayinka Fasuyi, Chief Agbede subsequently brought the matter to the attention of the revered Owa Obokun Adimula and Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland, Late His Imperial Majesty Oba (Dr.) Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran II, CFR, LLD.
At the time, Olayinka Fasuyi was widely respected but was not yet a traditional chief.
The intervention of Chief Lorunyi Ayo Agbede in October 2015 therefore became the beginning of a formal traditional process.
Community-Wide Consultation
Following the presentation of Olayinka Fasuyi’s name and profile to the Owa Obokun Adimula, Late His Imperial Majesty Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran II commenced a process of Ijesa community-wide briefings and consultations.
This was an important part of the journey.
The title was not simply announced without consultation. The process involved engaging the wider Ijesa community and building acceptance around the proposed traditional role.
The consultations ultimately culminated in Olayinka Fasuyi’s installation as Asiwaju of Ilesa.
From Asiwaju of Ilesa to Asiwaju of Ijesaland
The title and responsibility would eventually grow beyond Ilesa.
On Saturday, 26 December 2020, Olayinka Fasuyi was promoted from Asiwaju of Ilesa to Asiwaju of Ijesaland, becoming recognised as the First Asiwaju of Ijesaland.
The date was especially significant because it coincided with another historic moment in Ijesaland: the completion and commissioning of the Ultra-Modern Owa Obokun Adimula Palace, a project that had grown directly from the challenge given to him at his 2016 installation.
The palace was completed in nine months and was formally commissioned on Saturday, 26 December 2020, during a grand cultural celebration attended by thousands of Ijesa people and dignitaries from different walks of life.
The occasion therefore represented more than the completion of a major building project. It became a powerful expression of Ijesa unity, cultural pride and collective achievement.
22 October 2016: Installation as Asiwaju of Ilesa
On Saturday, 22 October 2016, Olayinka Fasuyi was formally installed as the Asiwaju of Ilesa by the highly revered Late His Imperial Majesty Oba (Dr.) Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran II, CFR, LLD, the Owa Obokun Adimula and Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland.
The installation was a major traditional and community event.
The ceremony attracted an unprecedented mammoth crowd from different walks of life. According to the account of the event, the late Owa Obokun described the turnout as the largest he had witnessed during his 35-year reign.
The scale of the gathering demonstrated the widespread goodwill and recognition surrounding Olayinka Fasuyi at the time.
For the newly installed Asiwaju, however, the occasion was not merely a celebration of a title. It became a call to service.
During the ceremony, the late Owa Obokun challenged him publicly to contribute to the construction of an ultra-modern palace that would replace the palace that had been destroyed by fire years earlier.
That challenge would later become one of the defining chapters of his service to Ijesaland.
The story of Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi’s title is also a story of the people who recognised, supported and helped shape his journey.
They are:
The wider Ijesa community was also an important part of the journey.
The traditional process involved community-wide briefings and consultations before the installation. This gave the title a broader communal foundation and reflected the importance of consultation and acceptance within Ijesa traditional society.
The story of Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi is therefore not simply the story of how one man received a traditional title.
It is the story of how recognition became responsibility, how responsibility became service, and how service became a continuing commitment to the unity, development and prosperity of Ijesaland.