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To many, the month of April is that of rebirth and renewal. It is the intersection between spring and winter, or, better still, the dry and rainy seasons. For Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, the urbane Elegushi of Ikate Kingdom in Eti-Osa, Lagos, he simply deifies April as the month holds a special place in his heart. April is, indeed, symbolic for Oba Elegushi. He and his father cum predecessor, the man who turned the once swampy dukedom into a modern city, Oba Yekini Adeniyi Elegushi, were born April 10, even though, many decades apart. Even more significantly was that the young monarch was crowned the 21st Elegushi in April. The celebration of his 10th anniversary comes up later this month. However, Friday April 10, the monarch added another year to his fascinating life.
Spotlight gathered that the monarch, his family, friends and subjects have planned an elaborate celebration for the month. But the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the attendant lockdown of almost every part of the world forced the plans to be shelved. However, the day wasn’t allowed to just go by. In the morning of Friday April 10, his birthday, the monarch had a quiet thanksgiving prayer with his immediate family and select palace aides with no single guest in attendance. But there were loads of calls and virtual engagements with his friends and some extended family members.
Earlier, his royal majesty’s second wife, Olori Hadiza, obviously so happy to celebrate him, took to her social media platform to let the world know it’s the first birthday with the monarch as an officially married couple. Her message reads; “Alhamdulillah, today marks the 1st day I get to officially celebrate my husband’s birthday as his Queen, HRM Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi. A day like this, is meant to be special and unique, for it’s a day to reflect on how blessed I am, to have you in our lives, how complete and whole I feel, knowing that you will remain in our lives forever, and making sure that we remain as one, through thick and thin. This is to wish you a fantastic and blessed birthday my love, may your light continue to shine brighter than the stars, may our hearts continue to merge into one, may your reign be long and prosperous, so you can live long to take your kingdom to greater heights…”
However, on Easter Monday, the monarch’s senior wife, Queen Sekinat Aramide, put together a load of gift items, especially foods, and shared to some members of the kingdom as part of the monarch’s birthday and the Easter celebrations.
Oba Elegushi has continued to hold his head high; effortlessly infusing modernity to the royal stool while holding very dearly to the traditional principles that define the Yoruba monarchical system for centuries. This, he is doing at a time when the roles and responsibilities of traditional rulers have become subjects of public scrutiny. The monarch has continued to represent with flair and flourish all that is expected of a 21st century monarch.
