Meet Oldest Man In Alaafin’s Palace, Baba Keji, Who Has Seen 3 Aláàfins

Reportages have it that Morenikeji Laisi popularly called Baba Kekere (Baba Keji) is believed to have served about three (3) different Alaafins of the Oyo Palace.

Baba Keji is one of the staff in Alaafin’s Palace and is about 150 years old. He sees and hears well. He also walks well and recollects past events vividly.

He has witnessed the reigns of three successive Aláàfin namely:

Oba Alhaji Adeniran Alabi Afolabi Adeyemi II (1945 – 1955).
Oba Bello Gbadegesin Oladigbolu II (1956 – 1968).
Oba (Dr) Lamidi Olayiwola Moroundiya Adeyemi III (1971 – 2022).

He walks briskly in and around the Alaafin of Oyo palace and is very popular not only because of his diminutive figure but because of his humility and he does not get angry. Some call him a man with repository of knowledge of the Palace for he has the history off hand and some call him the Palace library or an archive.

He goes from the palace to the abattoir to collect meat from meat sellers. This old man is well known around the Town and most often than not, he does not pay for public transport.

He is the Head of the Palace Slaves.

Baba Keji spoke about his family and said none of his children lives with him at the palace, he said his children live in the Northern part of the country while his wife lives with him at the palace.

When he was teased further whether he wants another wife if his wife does not take care of him very well as this reporter would give him another but the old man screamed, raising objection to it, ‘no, no, no, I don’t want another.