YORUBALAND: OBASHIP ASCENDANCY CUSTOMS SUSTENANCE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

By ‘Lanre Ogundipe

As the people of Ancient city of Oyo, the State Government and the coronation Committee gathered for the installation of the 46th Alaafin of Oyo, at AGANJU SQUARE within the precinct of the total mythical space of 150,000 km2 (58,000 sq mi) remains a re-exaction of culture and traditions at its best in this 21st or is it 22nd century. The event was an opportunity to showcase the uniqueness of cherished heritage and traditions and laid to rest all “duku” (means rifts or misunderstanding) among the royal family and the warrant chiefs, and a sweet welcome of ourselves to the embrace of what seemingly is considered to be the third party in the matter. The third party whose role and involvement cannot be ignored and overemphasised. This will further accentuate the irreversible age-long appellage of “Ajise bi Oyo ni a ri ….” and to promote our alternative dispute resolution and rancour free mechanism. Others can only copy Oyo people, Oyo is a trail blazer. Oyo does not copy. Oyo, in other words, is original. Others copy!

Not only would other ethnic nationals futher appreciate the importance of not relegating to the background the tradition and customs of their own, bequeathed before this generation.

The piety and the consecration of the royal heads- (the Obas) stand as the most cherished and valued among the Yoruba pantheon. Obaship is a traditional institution vested with such power second to sovereign or supremacy of God only hence Kabiyesi (Who is to query the King’s action or inaction – as whatever the king does is lawful!

As the stage is being set for the coronation/installation of the 46th Alaafin of Oyo, we shall witness the pride and glory of Oyo Yorubas gather again to present, support the Alale’s (progenitors) choice as announced by the Ifa Oracle and accented to by the Government of Oyo State.

As powerful and complex as it is, it is also the process of its accomplishment of arriving at the “choice of the gods as well as the acceptability of the people.” But as demanding and complex the process is, it is becoming more obvious that if care is not taken, all these would soon disappear into oblivion with the careless middlesomeness and tinkering by the political class compromising the vital organs saddled with the observance of traditional norms and practices leading to the emergence of an Oba in Yorubaland.

These traditional processes are the fore-steps and the most necessary stepping stones to the making of an Oba. The Afobajes – the Kingmakers, are revered and conferred Chiefs among the people in the town. They’re the watch-dogs (no pun intended) and pillars in some sacred royal duties within the royal court who must maintain the purity necessary to carry out and hold firmly the role bestowed by tradition. The specific roles assigned to these warrant chiefs with their respective family are not without hiatorical backgrounds. Their positions are hereditary and permanent.

Not only are they highly respected, the institution is one with a sacrosanct order and precision. They must not be caught in the web of fiddling or be found wanting in the discharge of their duties. A kingmaker must be a disciplined person who is given to keeping sealed lips to protect the royal court except directed to do otherwise. They remain the only stonewall to shield official secret from prying eyes and adhere strictly to the pillars of tradition to avoid subjecting them to any tinkering. This is the office of Oyomesi.

The role of Afobajes could be equated to the role of a mother whose responsibility is to nurture to the state of maturity, the prospective Oba to handle issues and behavioural attitudes within and outside the royal court.
The sacredness of the traditional system in Yorùbáland is one of the few reasons why Yoruba traditional systems and values have attracted so much respect and admiration over the years even from colonial invaders we called administrators. In fact, history has it that Oyo Empire administration was second to none in all the areas they had conquered!

The institution inspires nothing short of reverence. The almost magical and legendary feats of Yorùbá Obas in times past have also impacted the oral history with in-depth documentation of historical accomplishments in the often larger-than-life narratives surrounding royalty in Yorubaland. These Obas didn’t rule their domain as mere mortals, but like gods and custodians of people ‘s culture.

On one part Oba as a King, on the other part, Oba as a father to all living and non-living creatures, including the beings that abide in the forest, under the sea and below and above the different layers of the heavens. The Oba’s power is likened to that of the gods! Kabiyesi (no one can challenge you in trans-actions or activities) “Kabiesi-alaase” (the supreme commandant) “ekeji Orisa;,” (second in commands to the gods). These orikis – panegyric place the king on the same pedestal as the gods. Yet, the Oba is accountable to his people and the gods of the land. His primary duty is to develop his domain, as well as protect and develop every aspect of the socio-cultural well-being of the land are his responsibilities. He is the final authority on all issues as he commands all things.

The recent installation of new crown-head in ancient town of Oyo has set in motion the discourse on the mythology of ascendancy to the throne of Obaship in Yorubaland.

This deserves a thorough scrutiny – whether the age long tradition should be preserved, reviewed and or outrightly jettisoned for modernisation. Reported interview by eminent journalists meeting with Awise Awo Agbaaye, Ogunwande Abimbola as lucidly reported by Festus Adedayo who led the team gave rise to this contribution.

As a race, and indeed for the crave for sustainable approach to protect our heritage(s) from further interventions and interference aimed at bringing the revered culture, customs and traditions into disrepute, traditional and royal institutions must be insulated from the tinkering of the political class.

In all honesty, the recent happenings in the process of the successor to the stool of Alaafin has further brought the issue to the front burner more than ever before. I have devoted quality time to read various submissions for and against from the cross section of the public on what is obtainable in strict adherence to the norms. A conscious and conscientious Yoruba man would be quick to say, “e je ki a se bi won ti n se e, ki o leri, bo se ye ko ri” meaning let’s do it the way it is supposed to be done, all in order to have a good results. It deserves good thinking. That’s the import of what the erudite subtly displayed and encouraged during the hours of interaction with the journalists. Professor Ogunwande Abimbola put to test, the tenacity and the endurance of the journalists to see whether they are capable of sensing and appropriately aggregating the mood of the Awos if they were in agreement with what the oracle said.

Abimbola versed knowledge knew that his guests who travelled far distance deserved some level of respect to asked other visitors to spare few times, to attend to the guests, rather than dismiss, he allowed others to join in for the guests to have a glimpse of culture and the virtues it potends – it literally means the river is not afraid, its is the divers who is the one suspicious of the vicous calm looking waves – “eru o bodo, eniti o wo’do ni omi’nu nko!”

For the umpteenth time, I would reiterate my appeal to the “Ijoko-Agba ile Yoruba” that they cannot afford to be lukewarm or apolitical on this matter. Prompt intervention is needed and required. If Awise Awo Agbaaye has not been dragged into this – he would have been appealed to as the traditional institution to fundamentally ratify their choice.

I’m again prompted by the fact of a statement credited to renowned broàdcaster cum cum communication scholar, mentor and boss, Dr. Akinyemi Farounbi popularly known as Yemi Farounbi on Professor Ogunwande Abimbola and shenanigans spread by those playing politics with the choice of suposedly Ifa choice thereby berating the scholarship of Awise Agbaaye, not only as academician but as an astute and authentic Yoruba original -what the aaborigines will call Ojulowo Omo-oko.
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I wrote on this scholar and ateacher of Yoruba and history with his pedigree penultimate week when the general public was awashed with the role qplayed by him to consult when he was asked to do so by government in picking the Aalaafin- elect àfor Oyo when Kingmakers were alleged to have compromised the age-long tradition.

The age long Ifa consultation system was consulted with these Kingmakers in attendance to avoid counter offensive from any disgruntled minds before making or unveiling the Oracle’s choice to the public. It would be recalled that similar events happened in the choice of Timi Agbale of Ede, in the case of late Oba John Adetoyese Laoye’s choice which was later upheld by the Privy Council, England.

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Oba John Adetoyese Laoye Timi of Ede reigned from December 1946-May 16, 1975 at the Shrine of Sango inside his Palace, Ede Osun State. This similarity is important to infer in this context in Oyo. Ede is an historical Oyo kingdom town – one of the oldest towns in Yorubaland which was traditionally said to have been founded by Timi Agbale around 1500. Agbale was a hunter and a war lord, sent by the Alaafin of Old Oyo empire to establish a settlement so as to protect the Oyo caravan routes to Benin and the coastal areas.

Oba Laoye was the great-great grandson of Timi Bamigbaye Ajeniju, who was the second Timi to reign in present Ede.

Back to the issue of Ifa Oracle and Ogunwande Abimbola, the purported ultimatum issued by Oyo-Mesi is to create an interregnum such as it was in Ede between 1946-1952, a signal that we are gravitating towards a repeat of history and reality of what Awise Agbaaye said. Will it likely come to pass as many discerning minds may have seen and projected?.

Wande Abimbola as we all now know him now was known in his school days and youthful age as Ogunwande Iroko – a man known for his studious commitment for uprightness, truth, honesty and beliefs while in Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo. Both his classmates and juniors alike till date vouch-safe his integrity that despite the fact that his foundation was firmly rooted in the culture, customs and in the traditional background of his forefathers, he never betrayed the trust of the Baptist Missionary sponsors who paved way for his education while in the school. He rode on his bicycle traversing many villages and hamlets in propagation of Christian Evangelical mission to satisfy the bidding of his sponsors. Not that he believed the Christian religion was better than his tradional beliefs though. His motive was because he was intrested in acquiring Western Education to better his future. He subjected himself to go through all the odds to acquire education and he did to uplift his beliefs in translation worship to an enviable acceptability worldwide.

According to those who were his senior, peers and juniors, the European lifestyle didn’t cut with him nor compared to be superior, but he was more at home with his opele-Ifa (ifa divination chain) (lfa rosary). He saw Ifa as a way of life is far more important than anything else as well as a religion. This Oyo issues should be traditionally resolved.
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It will be speaking to the future of our tradition, culture and mores of the Yorubas if there’s conscious preservation of the values so attached as we take a step back into the past in the present.

Our traditions must not be sacrificed on the altar of politicking, religious biases and high tension hypocrisy but rather the sanctity be kept or else, the evaporation of these cherished pillars and identities of the Yoruba race will be consigned to dustbin of history.

©️ Lanre Ogundipe
Public Affairs Analyst Former President Nigeria and African Union of Journalists
February 18, 2025.