By Adekunle Oluwafunmilayo
The Awujale Council of Chiefs has reaffirmed that the globally celebrated Ojude Oba Festival will hold in 2026 despite the ongoing royal transition in Ijebuland following the death of Sikiru Kayode Adetona.
The Baagbimo of Ijebu and Secretary of the council, Chief Prof. Fassy Yusuf, made the clarification during an appearance on Frontline, a public affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, where he stressed that the annual cultural event is an enduring institution that transcends the reign of any individual monarch.
Speaking amid public debate over whether the absence of a newly installed Awujale could affect the continuity of the festival, Prof. Yusuf dismissed suggestions that the celebration should be suspended pending the installation of a new king.
“Once again, I confirm to you, and I confirm to the whole world that the Ojude Oba festival is holding in May. We are talking about institutions now, not about individuals,” he declared.
According to him, Ojude Oba represents the collective cultural identity and historical heritage of the Ijebu people and cannot be interrupted because of temporary leadership transitions within the traditional institution.
He explained that historical precedents already exist where the festival was successfully organised during periods when no reigning Awujale occupied the throne.
“There were times in the past that a late monarch or a revered monarch was not available due to one reason or the other, and yet the festival took place,” he stated.
Prof. Yusuf described calls for the cancellation or postponement of the festival as unnecessary, insisting that such views reflect a misunderstanding of the history and institutional structure of Ijebuland.
“It is inconceivable that anybody will be thinking or clamouring for the cancellation of Ojude Oba festival until a new Awujale is installed,” he said.
The traditional chief further criticised individuals advocating suspension of the festival, describing them as persons disconnected from the cultural identity and values of the Ijebu people.
“All those people talking about cancellation are people that lack self-identity. They are rabble-rousers fishing in troubled waters,” he added.
Providing historical context, Prof. Yusuf recalled that the festival was held in 1959 following the death of Robertson Adesanya Gbelegbuwa before the eventual installation of Oba Adetona in 1960.
“So, his appointment was approved January 2, 1960, and he was crowned April 2, 1960. That was about one year that Ojude Oba was held without any king on the throne,” he explained.
He also referenced the 1995 edition of the festival, which held while Oba Adetona was reportedly abroad receiving medical treatment.
“In 1995, Ojude Oba festival held. Oba Adetona was critically ill and flown abroad, but the festival still held,” he said.
According to him, respected personalities such as the late Ogbeni-Oja Bayo Okuku, Subomi Balogun, and Papa Chris Okunbadejo played significant roles in sustaining the festival and preserving its continuity during that period.
Prof. Yusuf maintained that institutional governance must continue regardless of temporary vacancies in leadership positions, noting that an interim administrative structure had already been established to oversee traditional responsibilities pending the emergence of a new Awujale.
“We have in place an Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council. The chairman may not be occupying the seat of Awujale, but he is standing in as acting Awujale,” he stated.
“Nature abhors a vacuum. Somebody has to stand in,” he added, addressing the succession process, Prof. Yusuf disclosed that the ruling house had complied with provisions of the Obas and Chiefs Law by forwarding the necessary documents to the kingmakers before the process was temporarily halted due to government directives.
“We have complied with the Oba and Chiefs Law. We have forwarded the list to the kingmakers and they have started working,” he explained.
He, however, noted that the ruling house had appealed to the government to allow the succession process to continue, reacting to allegations of coercion and corruption surrounding the selection process, the traditional chief insisted that no official findings or indictments had been made against any individual involved.
“These are allegations and they remain in the realm of speculations and accusations. The law says he who alleges must prove,” he said, he also confirmed that he was invited by the Department of State Services in his capacity as vice chairman of the ruling house for clarification purposes, stressing that no accusations were levelled against him.
On preparations for the 2026 Ojude Oba Festival, Prof. Yusuf disclosed that the organising committee had introduced several reforms aimed at improving logistics, crowd management, security, communication, and traffic coordination following challenges recorded during previous editions.
“We set up sub-committees to handle security, communication, traffic, and safety. We have no excuse this time around,” he stated, he further assured the public that the financial management of the festival remains transparent and institutionally regulated through palace accounts supervised by the interregnum administrative council.
“No cash is paid to anybody. Everything goes through the palace account,” he noted, Prof. Yusuf concluded by reaffirming that Ojude Oba remains a symbol of continuity, identity, and cultural pride for the people of Ijebuland.
“Even without an installed Awujale, Ojude Oba will hold. It is not about individuals. It is about continuity, identity, and institution,” he said.
