His Royal Majesty Oba Johnson Adekanmi Abikoye

His Royal Majesty, Oba Johnson Adekanmi Abikoye, was born on the 4th of July, 1981, to the late Prince James Adewole Abikoye and the late Iyaafin Julianah Olawumi Abikoye. He is a grandson of Pa Solomon Abikoye of the Ayeloro royal dynasty, a lineage that sits within the Orolotimoyewa ruling house of Ora-Igbomina. His descent from this ruling house placed him, from birth, within the line of succession to the throne he now occupies, a throne carried by blood, by name, and by the weight of a dynasty that has shaped Ora-Igbomina for generations.
Kabiyesi’s academic journey began at St. Stephen Anglican Primary School, Ora-Igbomina, where he obtained his Primary School Leaving Certificate. He proceeded to Ora Secondary Commercial Grammar School, where he sat for and obtained his SSCE/WASSCE certificate. His primary and secondary education were completed in 1993 and 1999 respectively.
He later pursued higher education at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, where he obtained a Diploma in Law in 2007, a credential that would go on to inform his later years of public service and legislative work.
He remained at the same institution to read for a degree in Political Science, a course of study that ran from 2007 to 2010. During this period, he served as President of the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences in the 2009/2010 session, a further mark of the leadership instinct that had already begun to define him.
Kabiyesi’s working life began early and moved through a broad range of experience, spanning commerce, education, public administration, and legislative service, before culminating in the stool he now occupies. He began his career as a Sales Representative at SAADAB Investment Ltd, Lagos State, in 2001, where he was later promoted to the position of Manager before leaving the company in 2004. He served briefly as a classroom teacher at Immaculate Conception School, Soka, Ibadan, in 2010. Between 2011 and 2016, he served as Personal Assistant to the Chairman of Ifedayo LocalGovernment, a role that placed him at the center of grassroots governance for half a decade. Between 2019 and 2020, he was appointed Senior Legislative Aide at the Osun State House of Assembly, where his legal diploma and administrative background found direct application in lawmaking processes. Between 2020 and 2022, he was appointed a member of the Ifedayo Local Government Education Authority Board, and in the same period served as State Chairman of the Forum of Osun State Local Government Education Authority Boards. In 2022, he briefly served as Secretary to the Local Government (SLG) for Ifedayo Local Government.
Beyond public service, Kabiyesi has maintained an active presence in private enterprise. In 2020, he co-founded Global Heritage Business Ltd, a digital marketing and branding outfit, where he serves as Chairman/CEO. He is also the Chairman/CEO of Ariwajoye and Sons Ltd, a business bearing the family name that now carries added royal significance following his ascension to the throne.
Long before his royal and political responsibilities, Kabiyesi distinguished himself in student and community leadership. He served as Financial Secretary of the Federation of Ifedayo Students Union (FISU) in 2006, President of the National Association of Ora-Igbomina Students (NAOS) in 2007, President of the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences at Olabisi Onabanjo University in the 2009/2010 session, and President of the Federation of Ifedayo Students Union (FISU) in 2008. These early leadership roles reflect a pattern that would define his later life, a consistent pull toward positions of responsibility and representation, first among students, then within local government, and now upon the throne of his forebears as the Asa-Ooni and paramount ruler of Ora-Igbomina Land.

The path to throne unfolded on October 8, 2024, when the Kingmakers of Ora-Igbomina named Prince Johnson Adekanmi Abikoye as the Asa-Ooni designate, the outcome of a selection process rooted in the Asaooni Chieftaincy Declaration and the established Omo-Owa ancient custom. The Osun State Executive Council, under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Jackson Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke, ratified this selection on December 27, 2024. He was formally installed as the 31st Asaooni of Ora-Igbomina on 30th December, 2024, after all the necessary installation rites, an ascension that recognized both his royal lineage and the years of discipline and public service that preceded it.
On January 5, 2025, His Majesty received his certificate and instrument of office, formally opening a new chapter for Ora-Igbomina under his reign, one oriented toward unity, development, and the preservation of its cultural heritage. Oba Johnson Adekanmi Abikoye now stands among a generation of traditional rulers grounded in ancestral custom while equally attuned to the practical demands of governance in the present day.