Erejuwa II
Before now, Erejuwa II, the traditional ruler of Warri from 1951 to 1964, was banished. He only returned in 1966 for a second spell, which lasted between 1966 and 1986. In 1964, he was deposed by the then National Convention of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), led by Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe.
NCNC, which controlled Midwestern Region, because of his support for Awolowo’s Action Group (AG). Erejuwa was exiled to a town called Ogbesse. He was reinstated by the Military Governor of the region, David Ejoor, in 1966 and he reigned till 1989.
Adeyemi II
Oba Adediran Adeyemi II (the father of the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi) was 84 years old when he was dethroned. His dethronement was the consequence of his political rivalry with Chief Awolowo, the then leader of the Western Government of Nigeria. The Alaafin’s allegiance was to the opposition party, NCNC, led by Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe. The ‘final nail to the coffin’ of his dethronement was hammered when he disagreed with the then Action Group leader, Bode Thomas. Oba Adediran was sent on exile to Lagos. Gbadegesin Ladigbolu was enthroned as the new Alaafin of Oyo till 1970.
Olagbegi II
Oba Olateru Olagbegi II, the richest and most influential Olowo of Owo town in Ondo State, also faced the same fate. The crisis in Owo, in 1966, resulted in the loss of lives and property. The people of Owo sent him on exile for another 27 years, and Oba Ogunoye was installed in his stead.
Following the demise of Ogunoye, Olateru was reappointed for a second spell in 1993. He was king for another five years till his demise in 1998. His eldest son took over from him in 1999 and reigned for 20 years.
Sanusi I
Sir Mohammodu Sanusi I was very influential in the pre-colonial days of Northern Nigeria. He was the Emir of Kano between 1954 and 1963. He was deposed by Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, a distant cousin, after an allegation of financial misappropriation in the emirate.
He was then banished to Azare in 1964 and eventually died at Wudil. Sanusi I is the grandfather of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the recently reinstated Emir of Kano who first reigned from 2014 to 2020.
Sultan Dasuki
The late Sultan Dasuki was dethroned by the military government of General Sani Abacha in 1996. His dethronement attracted attention from all over the country.
Dasuki’s removal was rumoured to be related to issues between him and Abacha, on mismanagement of the late Abacha’s relative’s property. There were also speculations that it was as a result of his modernist style of rulership and many preferred Sultan Maccido, who later succeeded him.
