Daughter of ex-Oyo governor seeks DNA tests for siblings, exhumation of father’s body

A legal storm is brewing within the family of late former Oyo State Governor, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, as his first daughter, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Alao-Aderinto, has approached an Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, seeking an order to conduct DNA tests on seven individuals claiming to be the biological children of the deceased.

In a motion filed before Justice K.B. Taiwo of Court 12, Ring Road High Court, Ibadan, with Motion Number I/443/2024, Alao-Aderinto is also requesting an order for the exhumation of her late father’s remains from the mausoleum in his Ogbomoso country home for the purpose of obtaining a DNA sample.

Through her counsel, Oladipo Olasope (SAN), she prayed the court to mandate DNA testing on herself and six others listed in the application: Olamide, Adebukola, Olamipo, Olamiju (currently a member of the House of Representatives), Tabitha, and Olamikunle. She further asked that the tests be conducted at a court-approved, accredited laboratory, and that the results be submitted directly to the presiding judge in a sealed envelope for pronouncement in open court.

The application marks a dramatic turn in an already bitter and protracted family feud over the vast estate left behind by Alao-Akala, who died intestate on January 12, 2022.

Tensions reportedly began to escalate in October 2022, when Kemi Alao-Akala and Olamide Alabi, believed to be one of the governor’s daughters, allegedly obtained Letters of Administration from the Oyo State Probate Registry without the knowledge or consent of Alao-Aderinto, who is legally recognized as the first child of the late governor.

In her affidavit and supporting documents, Alao-Aderinto accused the duo of manipulating information to claim sole control of the estate, while deliberately excluding her and potentially other biological children. Her legal team argues that such exclusion contravenes the provisions of Nigeria’s intestate succession laws.

The estate at the heart of the dispute is reportedly extensive—spanning properties in Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja, Ghana, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Assets include a five-star hotel in Ghana, luxury vehicles, and multiple bank accounts containing hundreds of millions of naira, dollars, and pounds sterling.

Alao-Aderinto maintains that her action is not driven by personal gain, but by a commitment to ensuring that all rightful heirs—including extended family, aides who served her father, and any other undisclosed biological children—are fairly included in the distribution of the estate.

Her counsel, Olasope SAN, had earlier issued a strongly worded letter in August 2023, warning that excluding the first daughter from the administration of the estate violated moral and legal principles. He stressed that unless addressed by the court, the situation could further polarize the family and tarnish the legacy of the late governor, who was known for his grassroots leadership style.