Àlíì Ọ̀chẹ́ja Ọ̀bàje GCFR (1910 – July 16, 2012) was the 26th Àtá Igala (paramount ruler) of the

Igala Kingdom Anẹ Igáláà (Igala Land) also known as the Igala Kingdom. Igala Kingdom is a pre-colonial West African state, located at the eastern region of the confluence of River Niger and River Benue in the Middle Belt or North-central of Nigeria. T ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. Obaje reigned for 56 years making him one of the longest serving monarch in Nigeria's history.

Life and kingship

Born in 1910, Aliyu Obaje was the youngest person to be installed ah Àtá Ígáláà; he mounted the stool at the age of 36 on November 2, 1956 following the death of his predecessor Ameh Oboni I. Obaje ruled for 52 years before he died at the age of 102. The Àtá's palace (the seat of power in the Igala Kingdom) is located in the ancient city of

Idah Idah is a town in Kogi State, Nigeria, on the eastern bank of the Niger River in the middle belt region of Nigeria. It is the headquarter of the Igala Kingdom, and also a Local Government Area with an area of 36 km. Idah had a population o ...

. He was one of the longest-serving monarchs in

. He has conferred on a large population of the Igala people traditional chieftaincy titles, including the title of Agenyi-Àtá of Igala Kingdom, bestowed on Chief Ogwu J. Onoja, SAN. Aliyu Obaje was the chairman of the Kogi State council of Traditional chiefs. He held the

n national honour of GCFR (Grand Commander of the Federal Republic).

Demise

He died on July 16, 2012.

References

2012 deaths Nigerian traditional rulers 1920 births {{Africa-royal-stub