The Yoruba people of South Western Nigeria are regarded as one of the most culturally and spiritually vibrant people in Africa and the world.
One of the most prominent exhibitions of this cultural awareness and celebration is Ojude Oba Day. This celebration is home to the people of Ijebuland and usually occurs on the third day of the Eid-el-Kabir.
Ojude-Oba Festival is a one-day celebration of culture, fashion, glamour, candour, beauty and royalty as sons and daughters of Ijebuland.
The central theme of ‘Ojude Oba’ is to pay homage to the paramount ruler of the Ijebu Kingdom, the Awujale of Ijebuland, who currently is Oba Sikiru Adetona.
This celebration has been taking place for over a century and has become one of the most revered annual festivals across the Yoruba land.
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Many who don’t know the history of this Ijebu festival of glam mistake it to have started under the Oba Alaiyeluwa Sikiru Adetona, one of the longest-reigning monarchs in Nigeria.
However, according to history, this celebration started as far back as 1886-1887 as a celebration of the growth of Islam in the Ijebuland under the reign of Oba Adesimbo Tunwase.
A short history of how Ojude Oba started
Years after, Christianity and Islam were officially allowed to be practised freely in Ijebuland by Oba Adesimbo Tunwase.
Both religions started quickly started to gain converts as mosques and churches were built in many wards in Ijebu-Ode and beyond.
However, a significant constraint made many converts divert from Christianity to Islam because of monogamy. Balogun Kuku, famed for being the founder of the Ita Oba, now metamorphosed as Ojude Oba day, was a traditional worshipper who converted to Christianity and Islam.
In a bid by the Balogun Kuku to show that he and his family, who were all now Muslims, were doing well economically and in excellent condition, they would go on a parade at the King’s Frontage on the third day of Eid-el-Kabir.
Balogun Kuku started the Ita-Oba parade because he couldn’t participate in the Odeda festival, which is noted to have been the predecessor of Ojude Oba Day.
The Odeda festival is an annual event for traditional worshippers such as Sango, Egungun, Osun Yemule and Ogun.
Highlights and features of the Ojude Oba Festival
- Dressing:
No other festival celebrated across West Africa is big on the fashion aspect as much as Ojude Oba Day. Different age groups compete for the best dressed. Hence, the reason why groups go all out for the season’s most expensive clothing.
Attires from a previous festival cannot be worn again at a new Ojude Oba festival; they have to wear entirely different attires year to year, which is meant to make a statement as to the economic status and affluence of the group.
Arguably, no other culture can compete with the cultural fashion, style, and sophistication of the Yoruba flair for glam and glitz at Ojude Oba Day.
2. Horse-Riding:
This is a unique feature of the Ita-Oba festival. Certain clans are regarded as the Balogun families, a continuity of the legacy of the Balogun Kuku and the war hero families who converted to Islam and joined him in the annual parade during its early days.
These families are regarded as horse-riding families. These clans pay homage at the Oba’s frontage on horseback with intermittent gunshots used to announce their entry, which sends many people into a frenzy.
The names of these Balogun families are disclosed in the next highlight.
3. Balogun Families
As explained above, the Balogun clans are the elite and forebearers of the Ojude Oba Day and the only ones allowed to ride on horseback when paying homage at the Oba’s frontage. Here’s a list of the Balogun families;
Balogun Kuku, Balogun Odunuga, Balogun Agboola Alausa, Balogun Alatishe, Balogun Otubu, Balogun Adesoye, Balogun Odejayi, Balogun Adesoye Onasanya, Balogun Towobola, Balogun Aregbesola and Balogun Ajibike Odedina.
4. Age grade/Club parade (Regberegbe)
Over the years, as the Ojude Oba festival metamorphosed beyond just being an Ijebu Muslim celebration, age grades (Regberegbe) joined in paying homage at the Oba’s frontage.
Friends, extended family members, classmates and colleagues from school joined the celebration and are regarded as age-grade groups.
They would usually light up the celebration with fantastic fashionistic savoury of glitz and colours as they compete for the best dressed.
Some prominent Ijebu men who participate in the Ojude Oba celebration:
Olu Okeowo – Real estate billionaire
Mike Adenuga – Globacom founder, the third richest man in Nigeria
Dr Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (Kwam 1) – Renowned Fuji musician
Oba Otudeko – Business magnate, Chairman of Honeywell Group
Olusegun Adebutu Kessington (Baba Ijebu) – Billionaire business magnate
Dr Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa – Former chairman of Sterling Bank and founder of Rite Foods
Before his passing, Chief Micheal Subomi Balogun – Founder of FCMB
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