Olu of Ishaga Abosule Sets Record Straight on Yayi’s Isaga Ancestral Connection
ABEOKUTA — The Olu of Ishaga Abosule, Agbado, in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, His Royal Majesty Oba Biliaminu Atanda Mudasiru, has called for proper documentation of the ancestral history of the Isaga people, particularly the lineage attributed to Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi.
The monarch made the call in a statement on Saturday titled, “Setting the Record Straight: The Isaga Ancestral Heritage and the Indigenous Roots of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi),” following recent discussions concerning the senator’s ancestral identity and indigenous roots.
According to Oba Mudasiru, the history preserved within the Isaga traditional institution indicates that the ancestors of the Isaga people migrated from Isaga-Orile, in the area of present-day Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State, before establishing settlements in different parts of Ogun, Lagos and other parts of the Southwest.
He said one branch of the migration established itself at Ishaga Abosule, around Agbado in present-day Ifo Local Government Area, while other branches established communities including Iju-Ishaga and Ishaga in Lagos, Iju-Atan in Ado-Odo/Ota, as well as Ago-Isaga and Pahayi in Ilaro.
The traditional ruler noted that the movement of families across different geographical locations did not necessarily sever their ancestral connections.
“Although these communities are today located within different administrative boundaries, such boundaries do not erase ancestral identity. Our forefathers carried their family names, customs, traditions and ancestral memories with them wherever they settled,” he said.
Yayi’s Ancestral Connection
On Senator Adeola, the monarch said the account linking the senator’s ancestry to Isaga, Ago-Isaga and Pahayi in Ilaro, Yewa South, should be examined within the broader history of Isaga migration and settlement.
He stressed the distinction between a person’s place of birth, place of upbringing and ancestral origin, noting that being born or raised outside an ancestral community does not automatically determine a person’s lineage.
The monarch said the claim concerning Senator Adeola’s ancestry should therefore be considered alongside available genealogical records, family histories, oral accounts and traditional records.
Migration and Lineage
Oba Mudasiru further described the history of Isaga-Orile as the history of a people whose descendants, according to the traditional account, are now spread across several communities in Ogun, Lagos, other parts of the Southwest and neighbouring areas.
He maintained that migration changes where people live but does not, by itself, erase family lineage.
He therefore called for greater efforts to document the genealogy of Isaga families and properly preserve the history of the various settlements believed to have emerged from the Isaga migration.
“History Should Not Be Determined by Politics”
The monarch also urged political actors and members of the public to separate contemporary political disagreements from questions of ancestry and traditional history.
He said genealogical evidence should be examined, family records consulted and elders with knowledge of oral traditions given the opportunity to provide their accounts.
“Political differences should not determine or rewrite ancestral history,” he said.
According to him, traditional institutions also have a responsibility to preserve historical records and make them available for proper documentation and future research.
Communities Linked to Isaga
The monarch listed several communities which, according to the traditional account, have Isaga settlements or historical connections, including Ago-Isaga and Pahayi in Ilaro, Owode-Yewa, Isaga Abata, Isaga Onlado, Iju-Isaga in Lagos, Ago-Isaga in Mushin, Isaga-Tado in Isolo, Isaga Meiran, Isaga-Iseri, Isaga-Araromi, Abosule, Isaga Agbado, Isaga Agbogunleri, Isaga Igborosun and Isaga Idanyin.
He also listed communities in the Republic of Benin, including Isaga Community in Godomey, Isaga Community in Cotonou and Agbonjedo.
The monarch said the historical claims should be subjected to further research by historians, genealogists, traditional institutions and families with relevant records.
He added that documenting the history would help preserve the identity and heritage of the Isaga people for future generations.
“Our ancestry is our history. Our history is our identity. And our identity should not be rewritten by contemporary political disagreements,” Oba Mudasiru said.
Signed:
HRM Oba Biliaminu Atanda Mudasiru
The Olu of Ishaga Abosule
Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State
19 September 2026
