It is perhaps only natural that since the transition of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, Ogbagba II, the Awujale of Ijebuland—a legendary monarch who reigned for an extraordinary 65 years and left an indelible imprint on Ijebu history—individuals of varying pedigree, temperament, and ambition would seek to succeed him. It is, after all, an exceptional honour to follow in the footsteps of Nigeria’s longest-serving monarch.
Oba Adetona was a moderniser and nation-builder. He transformed the palace, elevated the Ojude Oba Festival into a globally celebrated cultural spectacle, revitalised the Ijebu age-grade system, and established the Ijebu Development Board on Poverty Reduction, promoting economic growth and social upliftment. He endowed a professorial chair at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) and was deservedly awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), Nigeria’s second-highest national honour. Mortal he was, but towering in distinction—and it is only natural that many princes would aspire to walk in his very large shoes.
Yet, as George Orwell famously observed in Animal Farm, all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. The Awujale of Ijebuland is not merely a king; he occupies a throne in a class of its own. It is one of Nigeria’s most revered and treasured stools, owing largely to the resilience, industry, and economic prowess of the Ijebu people.
Talk of class and capital, and few can rival the Ijebu. They are elegant, confident, and self-assured—sometimes mistaken for hauteur. But this is not arrogance; it is an innate self-confidence forged by history and achievement. Attend Ojude Oba, and you will be mesmerised by the poise, splendour, and cultural pride on display. Against this backdrop, it was inevitable that when the Ogun State Government called on the Fusengbuwa Ruling House to nominate a candidate for the exalted throne, diverse characters would emerge.
As the Yoruba wisely say, on the day the elephant falls, different kinds of knives appear. Who, indeed, does not covet the throne of the Awujale?
Sadly, this is where trouble began. Some aspirants did not merely express legitimate ambition; they descended into notoriety—parading themselves on social media as “Awujale-in-waiting,” commissioning hired pens, and anointing themselves as princes of destiny. They dominated the social media space with false claims of preferment by the kingmakers, subtly hinting at government approval of their contrived candidature. This is farce. It casts the image of the Ijebu people in bad light. It must be condemned by all and sundry.
Predictably, this shameless spectacle unsettled decent people. Worse still, it emboldened the perennial, implacable critics of Governor Dapo Abiodun, who seized the moment to unleash their usual barrage of mischief and misrepresentation. This is particularly unfortunate because the Governor did nothing beyond what law and tradition demand. Being a prince himself, he merely invited the appropriate ruling house to make its nomination so that due process could be followed. Nothing more. Nothing less.
He neither announced nor endorsed any candidate—and indeed, could not have done so. He has no horse in the race.
Yet the naysayers, encouraged by the antics of a self-styled “Awujale by social media,” continue to display the hollowness of their reasoning. They hurl accusations at the People’s Governor, hoping to drag him into their gutter of deceit. They will persist until they are consumed by their own perfidy.
When criticism degenerates into mischief, tempers are bound to rise. Still, the Dapo Abiodun administration will not be drawn into comedy or conflict over the selection of a new Awujale. It will do only what the law and custom prescribe. Finito.
Indeed, reflecting on the life of Oba Adetona—the monarch who, at the height of military absolutism, told General Sani Abacha that having listened to the government’s account of the alleged Diya coup, he must also listen to the defence of Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya—demands sobriety and perspective. This was a king of courage and conscience, a rallying point for Ijebu people worldwide.
He promoted cultural pride and communal service on a scale rarely seen, oversaw remarkable strides in infrastructure and development, and served both as a member of the Western Region House of Chiefs and as a minister without portfolio in the Western Region government. How, then, can such a throne be trivialised by a social-media loudmouth who has virtually crowned himself king by noise and mischief?
More disturbing still are the attack dogs amplifying this farce across digital platforms, maligning Governor Abiodun with fabricated narratives and cheap propaganda. Let the self-appointed Awujale of social media continue his online theatre. Let the haters rage on.
A new Awujale of Ijebuland will emerge—properly chosen, duly installed, and anchored in history and tradition. When that happens, the noise will fade, the ranting will subside, and the clowns will retreat to their digital kingdoms on X, Facebook, and Instagram, where noise often masquerades as relevance.
In Ijebuland, dignity, tradition, and order will always prevail.
Odunsanwo sent this piece from 25, Old Ibadan Road, Ijebu Ode.
