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EKITI DYNASTY GEARS UP FOR INSTALLATION OF NEW BARADAGBA OF ADO-EKITI, BUSAYO FALEYE
…As prominent son, Senator Babafemi Ojudu spearheads transformation of family holdings into modern complex
… Installation holding after demise of Chief Sajowa 55 years ago
Members and leadership of Baradagba Dynasty of Ado-Ekiti are gearing up for the installation of a young and vibrant entrepreneur, Mr. Busayo Joshua Faleye as the Baradagba of the town.
The family members have been intensifying efforts at ensuring that all stakeholders are brought together for a successful outing.
The enthusiasm is not unconnected to the fact that the position has been vacant since the exit of Chief Sajowa about 55 years ago.
This brought elders together and propelled the younger generations with a focus to restoring the traditional glory of the Baradagba Dynasty at the famous Ereguru area of the ancient capital city.
This brought elders like Pa Olusegun Adeyinka, the eldest in the family,
distinguished Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Mrs Aduke Yesufu (nee Ojudu), Barr Gbenga Babawibe(Baba Oye), Alhaja Sariyu Laisi (nee Aolayesi), the ‘Eye Oye’ and Alhaji Fatai Jimoh (Imam) the spiritual father as well as Mustapha Bello popularly known as Sayee who is the Chairman of the family.
Following weeks and months of deliberations and financial engineering, the Ewi-in-Council approved the selection of Mr. Busayo Joshua Faleye as the Baradagba of Ado-Ekiti.
The event billed to hold on Thursday May 29, 2025 at the palace of the Ewi means a lot to various segments of the family.
To the younger generations, it’s installation of a new traditional authority to fill a vacant space of over 50 years while to the elders, it’s the beginning of creating a new orientation and outlook for a family whose level of civilization was envy of others and also a reference point.
In a charge by a prominent son of the family, distinguished Senator Babafemi Ojudu who has also served as Presidential Adviser in Nigeria, the veteran journalist described the development as a new beginning for the dynasty.
Work has therefore commenced on the process of reconstructing the palace court into a modern structure that will accommodate features of modernity.
In his words, “our family holds a proud and trailblazing legacy in Ado Ekiti and we owe much of this to the visionary leadership of the late Canon Adeyinka”.
“He was a man ahead of his time—building the first iron-roofed house in our town, complete with glass windows, a marvel in its day. It is for this reason that our ancestral home is fondly known as Ule Itan or Ule Alayegbe—the House of History”.
“Today, we seek to revive and extend that legacy by transforming this historic home and the extended family holdings into a modern complex that will serve purposes of commerce, recreation, and residence—an enduring tribute to our forebears”.
“In doing this, we aim not just to honour the past but to once again blaze a trail for the future”.
“We hope this effort will inspire others in our community who are trading away their inheritance for a pittance, showing them that there is a nobler, more enduring path to preserving history while embracing progress”.
“Together, we shall achieve something worthy—something our children and grandchildren will be proud of, just as we today are proud of Canon Adeyinka”, Senator Ojudu assured.
As at the time of this report, members of the family both home and abroad have arrived the ancient town in preparation for the installation on Thursday at the palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti.
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