Ota Traditional Chiefs

Traditional Chiefs in Ota play a role in maintaining local cultures and traditions in Ota, Nigeria. Many also form the group of Kingmakers who select the traditional ruler, or Oba, of Ota: the Olota of Ota.

Chiefly positions are hereditary. When a traditional chief dies, his or her family lineage performs rites and then meets to determine the new chief. Once one or more candidates are chosen by the family, they are presented to a local group of kingmakers who make the final decision. These local Kingmakers include the Apena of Osugbo Ota, the Odogun of Ota, the Asalu of Ota, the Ojumo of Ota, and the Oloregan of Ota. The procedure for choosing new chiefs is governed by the Chiefs Law of 1957, Section 4(2) of the Customary Law.

All chiefly candidates must be male members of the appropriate ruling houses. Female candidates may be acceptable if there are no qualified male candidates. The Iyalode of Ota is the sole exception, as this title is always held by a woman.

The four Olorogun chiefs are also known as quarter chiefs. Each quarter is a section of the town of Ota that each chief is responsible for overseeing. These chiefs can judge minor disputes between the people in his quarter and also represent the minor chieftains in their quarter to the Olota and the Kingmakers council.

The group of Kingmakers that select the Olorogun chiefs are different for each of the four titles. Each Kingmaker group consists of a combination of minor chiefs from the quarter as well as some higher ranking chiefs that sit on the Olota Kingmaker committee.

Ajana means "One who fights on the road" in the Yoruba language. He is the most senior chief in the Ijana quarter of Ota. Traditionally, the Ajana led the residents of his quarter to fight any potential threats to Ota, as Ijana quarter is the gateway to the town of Ota. He was also responsible for imprisoning and punishing criminals. Because of this, he is considered the first among equals among the Olorogun chiefs.

There are two ruling houses that produce Ajanas: the Ijitsu and the Aribiti. Each alternates in choosing the next Ajana. The candidates are presented by the family head to the nine Kingmakers: the Balogun, the Seriki, the Bada of Ijana, the Olori of Ijana, the Oluwo of Osugbo Itoki, the Lisa, the Eletu of Ijana, the Oganla of Ijana, and the Oloregan of Osugbo Itoki.

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