Last Saturday, April 5, Oyo town was agog as it played host to dignitaries from all over the world. It was at the coronation ceremony of the new Alaafin of Oyo,His Imperial Majesty, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I.
For the first time in history, the town
witnessed a tremendous surge in the turnouts of dignitaries that were present at ceremony.
They all thronged the venue with one mission-to be part of history as the world celebrate the coronation of the new Alaafin of Oyo.
The glitz, glamour and the pomp culminating in the ceremony was not unusual.It was understandable. Oyo is the home of the Yoruba. And anything coming from the town is well celebrated as a reflection of the sanctity of Yoruba culture and tradition.
With the success recorded at the ceremony,it is certainly a new dawn for the people of Oyo.It is also a new beginning for the Yoruba race.
Before the ceremony last Saturday, Alaafin Owoade had released a statement reflecting hope to all the sons and daughters of Oyo.
The Ikubabayeye had urged them to celebrate his ascension moderately, advising them to see his position as a unifying factor for all.Alaafin also made it known that there’s no reason for vendetta and that the pain of the past was gone.
The revered monarch also affirmed that the echoes of sorrow had gone with the winds, adding that it was a new dawn in Oyo and Yoruba land will never remain the same.
Going by what had transpired in Oyo between April 22 2022 and January 13 2025,last Saturday’s event was a milestone.It was the turning point in Oyo.
It also closed the chapter of the vacuum left by the death of the late Alaafin of Oyo,Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, that left the stage and joined his ancestors in 2022.
Today,we are happy that after three terrible years of darkness,here comes the light.
For more than five decades that his reign lasted, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi was a colossus. He was enigmatic. He refined the traditional institution, bringing to the fore the best of what a Yoruba Oba should be.
His life was a complete testament of royalty.Both in words and in deeds,Oba Adeyemi was our pride in Oyo and the entire Yoruba land.
For us in Oyo and particularly in Yoruba land,it was not easy to lose such a great king.A traditional ruler that was reputed to be a repository of Yoruba history and tradition.
In his life,Oba Lamidi Adeyemi was always at home with every subject of interest, especially, those that are related to Yoruba history, culture and tradition.
He was reporters’ delight.Many see him as an encyclopedia of Yoruba culture and tradition.
But when death came calling,we were left with no option than to accept our fate.Oba Adeyemi went the way of all mortals.Who are we to question God,the creator of all souls.
God bless his soul.We lost so much in the late Alaafin of Oyo,who did all he could to bring significant growth and development to Oyo town.
Such was the aura and influence of the late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.But Like every human being,the late Alaafin had his foibles.He never hid his feelings and once Kabiesi is happy with you,be assured the gods are happy.It was an irony of fate that his shortcomings were also his strengths.
For almost three years after his demise,Oyo town was in the wilderness-no King,no pride,no voice,no unity and no progress.
There’s nothing in Oyo other than the unnecessary noise and controversies generated by the kingmakers,who wanted to play
God.
But destiny played the fast one on them.The rest today is history.Oyo town is alive again and you can see the joy reverberating in the eyes of eminent sons and daughters of the soil,both at home and abroad.
The joy was palpable.God has used the new Alaafin,Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade to restore our pride.
God is most gracious.What we lost in Oba Lamidi Adeyemi,He gave us back in the new Alaafin. Therefore, it is a new beginning in Oyo and we are very proud to share in the joy that had eluded us since 2022.
Saturday’s event has confirmed my findings that all is well with the people of Oyo.I was in town a few days after the Eid-Fitr celebration to play the role of a “street boy”.I was at the downtowns and I visited the main streets in the town.I was at the garages.I visited the local canteens.I went to the popular Akesan market, Sabo, Asipa,Isale- Oyo, Agunpopo and a few other places to sample the opinions of the indigenes and see how they received the coming of the new Alaafin.
I saw the joy.I witnessed pure love.
I saw relief in the eyes of the people of Oyo town and how they were rejoicing, praying and raising hope that the coronation of the new Alaafin will usher in the best for Oyo town.
It was destiny that puts the crown on his head, therefore,Oba Owoade is our new Ilufemiloye.
Oyo is the home of rich history and culture.It is one town that reflects the resilience, adaptability and creativity of Yoruba race.Oyo is the home of tradition.It is the home of king and royalty.Any time,any day, the proverb is: “Aji Se bi Oyo,laari, Oyo o ni se bi baba enikookan”
Oyo Empire was once the political and military stronghold of the Yoruba people, renowned for its administrative sophistication, military prowess, and cultural influence.
Besides, the Alaafin’s stool is a symbol of cultural pride, unity and the enduring legacy of one of Africa’s most powerful empires.
As the 46th Alaafin of Oyo,and like his predecessors,Kabiesi still has a tough nut to crack.He would work on his estranged kingmakers and see how Oyo can regain its lost glory.
The biblical story of a father and his prodigal son was on my mind.Now that God had placed the head on the whole of the body,it is no more an argument that Alaafin is now the father of all.
I have no doubt in my mind that the new Alaafin he will surely succeed
in transforming Oyo town.Oyo is no stranger and even in Yoruba land and beyond,the Ikubabayeye holds a prestigious position.He is a king like no other.Imbued with all the trappings of a special being,the
Alaafin is a great warrior and very famous like the Alaafin Sango. He ascended the sacred stool fearless and courageous.
Well, Alaafin Owoade is coming with a new vista of hope.He is ready and determined to turn the town around positively.
In his speech,the Alaafin said: “Today marks the dawn of a new era,not just for me, but for the great Oyo Kingdom.
“As I ascend the sacred throne of my forefathers, I am reminded that this crown is not merely an ornament of gold and jewels, it is a symbol of strength, wisdom, and the enduring legacy of those who walked this path before me.
“I carry the weight of centuries of tradition and the hopes of generations to come. May God guide my steps, may my reign be marked by peace, prosperity, and justice.
“To my people, I vow to serve with honor and dignity. A king is nothing without his people and today, I rise because you have lifted me. The crown rests on my head, but the spirit of Oyo rests in my heart. Long live the Oyo Kingdom”,Oba Owoade enthused.
From his background,the Alaafin is
a man of peace and brilliance- a young monarch with lots of vision, strengths and power.Very articulate and reserved.
His vision is to restore the value,the pride of Oyo town and also bring back the lost glory of Yoruba race.
So, as we celebrate the ascension of the new Alaafin of Oyo, we also celebrate the beginning of a new dawn in the entire Yoruba land.
Congratulations,once again to the Alaafin of Oyo, Ikubabayeye,Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I,the man that brought light when Oyo town was in darkness.
*Aderemi writes from Lagos.
