Meet Ayaba Abibat Nihinlola Adeyemi, late Oba Lamidi Akanbi Olayiwola Adeyemi, the 25th Alaafin of Oyo’s first wife.
What is unquestionably a known fact is that the late Alaafin Adeyemi loved young fair ladies and married quite a chunk while alive. But in the household of Alaafin, the indisputable matriarch of them all is Ayaba Nihinlola who is well respected within the household of Alaafin Adeyemi. Ayaba Nihinlola is the late Alaafin’s wife of over 60 years.
Iya Adodo, as she is fondly called, has been described by many as a woman with a large heart and accommodating spirit.
The Liberation News reliably gathered that the monarch met and married Ayaba Abibat when she was in secondary school, at age of 17.
Their meeting was said to be through his late younger sister, who was attending the same school with Ayaba Nihinlola around 1956.
That was before he ascended the throne of his forefathers in 1970. She later followed him to Lagos where he worked with an insurance company.
Ayaba Nihinlola learned to sew, and became a trained tailor. They both lived in Lagos and have five children together — three girls and two boys. All of the children are now grown up and highly successful. They are also blessed with many grandchildren.
Ayaba Nihinlola , in her hay days, is reputed to be highly resourceful and fashionable, underscoring her flair for fashion that is commensurate with her royal status.
The late Alaafin’s matriarch understands what it means to be an Ayaba, especially to an high profile king and well respected traditional ruler in Yorubaland.
Till date and despite her age, at 77, Ayaba Nihinlola still carries herself with so much respect and dignity becoming of a solid matriarchal royalty.
Ayaba Nihinlola is well loved and respected among other wives. She is a role model to them and several others because of her widely applauded virtuous disposition.
Ayaba Nihinlola, widely known with the sobriquet; Iya Adodo is the mother of Alaafin’s first born and beere (daughter), and the Aremo (first son).
