Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo Biography | The Alake of Egbaland
The name of the current Alake of Egbaland is Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III. He was born on the 14th of September, 1943, and currently reigns over Egbaland, with its headquarters in Abeokuta.
He had been the ruler of the kingdom since the 2nd of August 2005.
Egbaland is a clan in Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria and it is made up of Egba Gbagura, Oke-Ona, Owu Kingdom and Egba Ake.
The first individual to ascend the Alake of Egbaland was Sagbua Okukenu, and that was in 1854; he died in 1862.
Since its inception to date, 12 kings have reigned over Egbaland.
Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo Early life
As mentioned earlier, Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III was born on the 14th of September 1943.
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He was born into the Laarun Ruling House of Abeokuta and was also one of the grandsons of the 6th Alake of Egbaland, Oba Gbadebo, who ruled Egbaland between 1898 and 1920.
The current Alake of Egbaland is equally a nephew to Oba Gbadebo III.
His secondary education took place at the Baptist Boy’s High School, Abeokuta; he later proceeded to Ibadan Grammar School, where he completed his secondary education.
Upon graduating from secondary school, he got admission into the University of Ibadan to study Arts in 1969.
He graduated from the university with a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts in 1969.
After leaving the university, he enlisted into the Nigerian army in 1969 and began his military staff training in 1978 at Command and Staff College, Jaji, from where he graduated in August 1979.
He was appointed the Principal Staff Officer to Major General Tunde Idiagbon, the then Chief of Staff at the Supreme Headquarters, Dodan Barrack, a position he occupied from 1984 to September 1985.
Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo later resigned from the army as a Colonel.
How Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo was elected
Alake of Egbaland was elected to the seat of the Alake of Egbaland in August 2005.
There was a six-month gap between his ascending the throne and the demise of the previous Alake of Egbaland, Oba Oyebade Lipede; the previous Alake died on the 3rd of February 2005.
Several people contested along with him for the throne of the Alake of Egbaland, but he won the majority vote by 15 out of 23 votes.
The Egba Kingmakers conducted the election among the nine competitors.
Even his younger brother, Adeleke, was among the contestants.
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The king was awarded Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR), and he is currently the Chairman of the Board of Oando PLC.
He is equally one of the richest kings in Yorubaland and also a first-class king.
A dispute ensued between the Olu of Igbein, Oba Festus Oluwole Makinde, and the Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo in April 2010, and the case was charged to the Abeokuta High Court.
The crux of the matter was the attempt made by the Alake of Egbaland to change the title of Olu of Igein to Olu of Mowe.
The Olu of Igbein insisted that such a change would negatively affect his rights to using some traditional symbols, including the Igbein stool.
