• Oyo agog for new Oba Saturday
By Lanre Ogundipe
Oríkì Sàngo!
A bí lumo bí òwú
Okò mi asònbo-sonbo idà
Ebiti káwó seyìn soro bíi agbón
Èbìtì ká owó ìjà lérí
Èyí tí yó se ní àá n wòye
Sango!
Sangiri làgiri
Ò làgiri kàkà fìgbà edùn bòọ̀
A wòlú tìlù tariwo
Sàngó ooo…
ka-bi-ye-si Alase! Ekeji orisa! Iku baba yeye, Alaafin oro mo jo gbo ti gbogbo Oyo mbo. Oranmiyan, Alaafin, oruntolu. Iba! f’ori ade, Iba, eji gba orun ileke, k’ade pelori Oba.
Fulfilling Alaafin Siyanbola Onikepe Ladigbolu’s dream and wishes, the great grand father of the new Oba, who wanted his blood brother, Aremo Aderounmi Owoade, to succeed him has finally come to fruition.
To scions of Owoade-Agunloye side of the Royal family, it’s a dream long overdue! The goal is to protect, promote and preserve the esteemed ancestral values, culture and traditional inheritance, whoever ascends the throne should follow all of old existing protocols..
“Congratulations to new Oba, our father, grand father, a living ancestor (iku baba yeye) and our brother from same Agunloye royal lineage ~ Family tree of Owoade.”- These are echoes from the royal family. Shall we all join to hail and render KA-BI-YE-SI to new crown-head, Alaafin Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade, Owoade 1
Yoruba all over the world will on Saturday, April 5, 2025, standstill to give a loud royal welcome to the freshly “minted” Kabiyesi with the traditional booming of royal dane guns at AGANJU SQUARE to usher in the new Sango incarnate – Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade to the throne of his forefathers as the 46th Alaafin of Oyo, Oyo State.
In fulfillment to his ascension to the traditionally acclaimed prestigious seat as Alaafin, the path to throne has been a long walk after the demise of immediate past, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, whose image loomed larger than life as a living image of the greatest among the Yoruba pantheon.
The succession to throne as expected, was keenly contested, hence the debacle among the kingmakers warrant chiefs known as – the Afobajes. The sharp disagreement among them led to the intervention of Awise Agbaaye, Professor Ogunwande Abimbola, on the prompting of the state government to wade into the matter.
Traditionally, when the stool becomes vacant, it becomes the duty of Oyo-Mesi to set in motion the processes for election and selection of a new Oba by contacting the next ruling house to assemble all the interested princes interested in aspiring candidate for the office of Alaafin subject to the ratification of the family head before handing or sending the names over to kingmakers, the Oyo-Mesi for futher scrutiny and presentation to transmit to the Oracle to pick the choice Omo Oye (prince)as the Alaafin.
Consultation with the Oracle known as Ifa is not a cake walk with the Aworo Ifa (priests) assemble themselves for this assignment demands total commitment to ensure nothing goes contrary to what the duty requires of them. While days preceeding the commencement of divination, all traditional processes must have been completed and appeasement to the gods to ask for guidiance and direction to avert unwanted occurrences that may want to hinder the process on divination day, the arena must wear the ambience of spirituality required to progress with the divination.
The prepared the list of Omo Oyes would be handed out to the Ifa priest one after the other for divination and Oracle to speak and bring out the choice candidate for all eyes to see and know on whose shoulder the mantle has fallen. This step take days of consultations before the veil is removed and the choice candidate revealed and put forward to the consenting authority for ratification and subsequent approval.
Then, comes the second round of the walk to the throne which is classified as the 21-day seclusion period of IPEBI – to commune with the ancestors and to learn the ropes in the royal courts on the new assignment. The brooding is in six steps and it starts with the visit to the Baba Iyaji – the head of all the princes in the ancient town.
The second point of call is Ona-Isokun where the Arokin (traditional Oral historians) would schooled the new Oba on the history on past events detailing the records time and dates of happenings in the
kingdom- in modern term Ona Isokun, is regarded as archive “homes of all accounts of the trajectory of the kingdom” are kept. The journey aimed at equipping the Oba for his office as a leading royal head in Yorubaland.
The transformation stage begins when he steps inside the “imole” known in Oyi as Mole groves – this section houses all the orisas in the kingdom which the Oba traditionally becomes the custodian by the virtue of his new office, and accordingly acquires the knowledge of each of the orisa and its art of worship as the head.
From this point, the Oba is no longer a mere mortal. He has transformed to “Oosa” that must be worshipped by his subjects. It is at this stage, “Oba-in-training” acquires and attain piousness to maintain the traditional status of his forefathers.
Sources close to the traditionalists in charge disclosed that from the imagery strides of the new Oba, which they observed, it can be confirmed that the new Oba is imbued with the qualities/trappings of Alaafin Sango. His mien according to traditionalists bears the semblance of the famous Alaafin Sango.
Thus, pointing to the facts that his reign would be phenomenal in the anals of the ancient town as giant developmental growth and Yoruba cultural rennasence is foreseen to flourish. Sources at the sacred groves hinted on his much devotion and brooding in Sango Shrine during his Ipebi period where he spent much time to commune.
In history, Sango remains the most vociferous, powerful and mystical Alaafin. No one dares Sango. An Alaafin must be bold, confident and be ready to face difficult challenges and overcome them.
Stepping out of the 21-day Ipebi seclusion rites, Oba Owoade swiftly moved to the main Sango Shrine in Koso district of Oyo town, where Baale-Mogba Koso adorned the new King with traditional Sango crown while the adherents Sango worshippers performed the rites. These would be the prelude to wearing of the first Alaafin Oranyan beaded crown on his official presentation day.
With the versatility of education, business and culture/tradition combined, the ancient town, indeed Yorubaland stands to grow in leaps and bounds – development that would further accentuate the pride of place ancient Oyo occupies among the black-race globally.
In line with the Yoruba proverb that says: “Sango ni Alaafin, Alaafin ni Sango,” few days before the official presentation to after series of cleansing and sacrifice, he is inducted to Sàngó mystery.
His imperial Majesty, , Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade Eletu 1, automatically becomes beneficiary of death, sorrow, predicaments at home and outside, (Iku Baba Yeye).
Officially, Kabiesi Oba Owoade will at the instance of Baale Mogba be crowned with Sango crown at the Main Sango Shrine in Koso, with the official presentation of Sango staff of office to mark his assumption of the leadership mantle in the kingdom and to occupy the palace – the abode and official residence of the reigning Oba as the consenting authority in readiness to the giverment official presentation to the public at large.
The indigenes and the people lead the king in a mass movement from Koso with pumps, pageantry and dance to the palace with new Alaafin. A show that signifies his first day ascension to the throne of his forefathers.
Thereafter, the new Oba is presented with the traditional three calabashes to pick one – each contains different items such as Oyin (honey), Iyo (salt) and Ata (pepper). Any of these picked defines his reign – and the Igba literally defined as – the good, the ugly and the bad.
In the modern times, it has been moderated to reflect new age and proper guidance to forestall doom predictions on the people and the kingdom. It was revealed Oba Owoade picked the calabash that contained honey: “Igba Oyin lo si.” It signposts prosperity for his subjects and the kingdom.
His last day in Ipebi and stepping out of Bara courtyard after completion of all rites to assume office, royal drum sounds and booming of royal guns rent the air to herald his coming out. This preceeded the early hours visit to his ancestral home to pay homeage to the family with the chants of the Oba’s oriki (panegyric).
The Iwarefas place the small white traditional cap to cover his head. The first obeisance to the king is rendered by the Council of the Oyo-Mesi an acceptance of his leadership of the Oyo Kingdom as His Imperial Majesty, the Iku Baba yeye.
Alẹ́sinlàdó Ìyàndá
Ìyàndá ẹlẹ́wù ẹtù
Aboko létí Akínmọ̀ọ́rìn
Gbàjúre! !!!!
Oba’s profile:
Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade is a Nigerian and Canadian entrepreneur, philanthropist and President, Manitoba Limited and owned a real estate investment and financial services business in Manitoba, Canada.
Born 47 years ago to a prominent and royal family of Owoade-Agunloye in Oyo, Oba Owoade is of Aremo Aderounmu Iyanda Owoade, Agure s Compound, Oyo.
Oba Owoade completed his Secondary School education at Baptist High School, Saki. His father worked with Oyo North Agricultural Development Programme (ONADEP), helping Oke-Ogun community in boosting agricultural productivity.
He studied Mechanical Engineering at Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun State at National Diploma, from 1994-1997 and Higher National Diploma at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State from 1999-2001. He did his NYSC with Nigeria Gas Company as Mechanical Intern/Planner in 2002. He worked with Oceanic Bank International Plc in Warri as a Cashier from 2003-2004.
He attended University of Sunderland (2008) and Northumbria University(2012) from where he earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering respectively. He became Certified in Project Management in June, 2015 (PMP holder). He held a Planning Engineering position at Oil Reach Company, Glasgow, United Kingdom for some years before moving to Canada.
Oba Owoade until the royal mantel fell on his shoulder, was the Project Coordinator at Manitoba Hydro, Canada, one of the largest electric power and natural gas utility providers in Canada.
*Ogundipe
President is of IBILE Club and former President, Nigeria and African Union of Journalists