Alao-Akala Family Crisis Deepens: First Daughter Seeks DNA Test, Exhumation of Late Governor Over Estate Dispute
According to SpectatorsNG. A fierce legal and familial dispute has erupted within the family of the late former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, as his first daughter, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Alao-Aderinto, has approached the Oyo State High Court seeking a DNA test to verify the paternity of seven individuals claiming to be biological children of the deceased.
In a bold move that could reshape the narrative around succession in one of Nigeria’s notable political families, Oluwatoyin is also requesting the exhumation of her father’s remains to facilitate the court-supervised DNA tests.
Filed before Justice Taiwo of Court 12 at the Oyo State High Court, Ring Road, Ibadan, under Motion Number I/443/2024, the suit seeks an order for Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) testing on the claimant herself, alongside individuals identified as Olamide, Adebukola, Olamipo, Hon. Olamiju Alao-Akala (a current member of the House of Representatives), Tabitha, and Olamikunle — all of whom have been listed as heirs in the ongoing administration of the late politician’s estate.
Represented by her legal counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Oladipo Olasope, Oluwatoyin is praying the court to order that the DNA tests be conducted at an accredited facility approved by the court, with results submitted under seal and presented directly to the presiding judge for official pronouncement in open court.
This request marks a new and dramatic phase in the inheritance dispute that has trailed the late Alao-Akala since his death on January 12, 2022, without a will.
According to court documents and sworn affidavits, Oluwatoyin alleges that her exclusion from the estate’s administration was deliberate and unlawful. The controversy reportedly became public in October 2022 when one Mrs. Kemi Alao-Akala and Ms. Olamide Alabi, believed to be among the late governor’s children, secured Letters of Administration from the Oyo State Probate Registry without the knowledge or consent of Oluwatoyin, the first biological child of the deceased.
She claims that this move contravenes the laws guiding intestate succession in Nigeria and constitutes a denial of her rightful role in the management and distribution of her father’s estate.
Described as vast and multi-national, the estate includes high-value properties across Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja, the United Kingdom, and the United States, a five-star hotel in Ghana, numerous luxury vehicles, and multiple bank accounts in both local and foreign currencies, collectively estimated in hundreds of millions.
In her application, Oluwatoyin maintains that her call for a DNA verification is rooted in a desire to ensure fairness and transparency, not only for acknowledged family members but also for extended relatives, aides, and any other unrecognized dependents who may have legitimate claims.
“The current approach by the defendants reflects a ‘winner-takes-all’ posture,” her counsel argued, “one that threatens the legacy of justice and compassion for which the late Alao-Akala was known.”
Oluwatoyin insists that there is no clear consensus on the paternity of some of the individuals named as heirs, raising “troubling questions” about the legitimacy of their claims. It is this ambiguity, she argues, that necessitates scientific resolution through DNA testing.
In an earlier letter made public in August 2023, her counsel had warned that her continued exclusion violated both moral and legal standards, and cautioned that the ongoing crisis could further divide the family and erode the respected legacy of the former governor.
The case is still pending before the Oyo State High Court, and legal observers anticipate that the outcome could set a significant precedent in estate disputes involving prominent families in Nigeria.