Pastor Bakare mourns Awujale, says monarch brokered APC formation

The Serving Overseer of Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has paid tribute to the late Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, describing him as “a patriot, mentor and elder statesman” whose death marked the end of an era in Nigeria’s political and cultural history.

Adetona passed on Saturday, July 13, 2025, a date which Bakare said holds deep personal and national significance.

In a tribute titled, “Tribute to a Patriot, Mentor and Elder Statesman — The Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebu Land”, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent on Monday, Bakare expressed sorrow at the monarch’s passing, while thanking God for a life he described as “well lived.”

He said, “It is with profound gratitude to God for a life well lived and yet with deep sadness at the loss of a father figure that I pay tribute to Kabiyesi Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona.”

The revered pastor also noted that the monarch died on the same day as former President Muhammadu Buhari, adding, “this coincidence is deeply significant to me.”

The cleric revealed that Oba Adetona played a critical role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that, “What many Nigerians may not know is that without the Awujale’s pivotal intervention, the APC might not have emerged as a political party.”

Recounting events after the 2011 general elections, Bakare said he met with the monarch in London and urged him to initiate talks between the CPC and the Action Congress of Nigeria, led by President Bola Tinubu.

“Upon his return to Nigeria, Kabiyesi convened a key meeting at the Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island and brokered the agreement that led to the formation of the APC,” Bakare stated. He said despite this monumental role, “Kabiyesi was non-partisan, supporting any course he thought would facilitate good governance, strengthen the national interest, foster peace and further the course of building a united Nigeria.”

Describing Oba Adetona as “a man of uncommon wisdom and a strong sense of justice,” Bakare recalled a dramatic encounter in the early 1990s during a crusade in Ijebu Ode. According to him, “Our gathering was suddenly invaded by an angry mob led by a masquerade named Obirin Ojowu. The masquerade was knocked down by the power of God.” When his supporters ran to the palace, Bakare said the Awujale refused to interfere. “He said, ‘If the organisers did not push the masquerade down, but the power of God did, then these are the kind of people we need in Ijebu Ode.’”

The clergyman highlighted the monarch’s personal spirituality, noting that, “Kabiyesi was open-minded and had a heart for God. With his granddaughter, he watched my television broadcast The Moment of Truth without fail, almost throughout life. He would often call to appreciate my commitment to speaking truth to power.” He added that their relationship was not only cordial but deeply personal and enduring.

Bakare said he maintained a close bond with the monarch through his son, Chief Jimi Lawal, adding that he and his family frequently visited the Awujale both in Nigeria and abroad. “Kabiyesi fondly called me ‘The Great Pastor.’ There was never an occasion I invited him to whether my birthday or my daughter’s wedding that he did not attend,” he said. “Every year, he sent me a generous portion of the Eid al-Adha ram, and I would return the gesture with Christmas hampers.”

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He also paid tribute to the monarch’s wife, Olori Adetona, describing her as a “gracious and generous hostess” who received guests warmly, regardless of how many people he brought along. “I will never forget the delicious moin moin, fresh fish, and rice with which she always welcomed us,” he said.

The pastor further stressed that the monarch’s granddaughter, Adetoun, who shares the same birthday with him, had been adopted as his own daughter. “I had the honour of attending both her graduation in London and her wedding in Lagos,” he said.

Bakare said the monarch never turned down any of his requests. Quoting one of their last meetings, he recalled, “There is nothing Pastor can ask me that I will not give. Even if he asks for my soul, I will ask to spend three more months, and then give it to him.” He also praised Oba Adetona’s contributions to education, especially through the development of Olabisi Onabanjo University, and the preservation of Yoruba culture via the iconic Ojude Oba festival.

“May the noble soul of Kabiyesi rest in perfect peace. May God strengthen and comfort Olori Adetona, their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and the extended royal family he leaves behind,” Bakare concluded. “Ka to r’erin o d’igbo, ka to r’efon o d’odan, ka to ri oba rere bi Kabiyesi Oba Dr Sikiru Adetona, o di orun alakeji.”