Opinion
The unkingly Timi and lousy Wasiu Ayinde (1)
The unkingly Timi and lousy Wasiu Ayinde (1)
Tunde Odesola
(Published in The PUNCH, on Friday, January 24, 2025)
If only the eyes could unsee the seen, the sin of abomination would fall off the heart; the scene of sacrilege would fade away from the mind; taboo and its punishment would remain in the communal pouch; and blood would not race higher than its pressure; life would be good. The soul would be at peace…if.
But the eyes cannot unsee that tragedy in Ilorin, where the reincarnated warrior with flaming arrows, the Timi Agbale of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Lawal, knelt to an ancestrally younger authority, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari. Abomination! Orí ó gbodó di írú: the head must not become the tail, says a Yoruba proverb.
Many eyes saw the eyesore and mouths flung wide open like crocodiles regulating body temperature on a sunny day, leaving many wondering if that horror truly happened in Ilorin Afonja founded by the Yoruba or if that was a scene from an episode in a mediocre movie titled, “The Timid King”.
Founded by Oyo Empire authorities in the 16th Century, Ede is not only older than Ilorin, which was founded in the 18th Century, Ede was also a frontier military outpost of the Old Oyo Empire with Aare Ona Kakanfo Afonja as the field marshall.
In the “History of the Yorubas”, Samuel Johnson says before the collapse of the Oyo Empire in 1796, a succession of Timis reigned in Ede-Ile, marking out the land of Mapo Arogun as one of the strongest military powers in Yorubaland.
By genealogical, cultural and traditional indices, the Timi stool, by a vast margin, predates the Ilorin emirate. In their seminal book, “The Entire Yorubaland”, Professors Isaac Akinjogbin and S. A. Akintoye, affirmed Ede as one of the established monarchies in Yorubaland – long before the birth of the caliphate in post-1800, let alone the Ilorin emirate, whose first emir reigned between1823 and 1836.
This viewpoint is vividly expressed in the book, “Yoruba Warfare in the 19th Century”, written by Professor J.F. Ajayi, and “War and Peace in Yorubaland”, edited by Professor I. A. Akinjogbin. While Ilorin was a theocratic state, Ede was both a military and traditional state.
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Oral tradition says the etymology of Ilorin is rooted in three Yoruba expressions: (1) Ìlo Irin (Iron Sharpening), (2) Ìlú Irin (Iron Town) and (3) Ìlú Erin (Elephant Town). Ìlo Irin suggests that the name Ilorin was derived from iron sharpening practice by its occupants. It connotes that Ilorin is a place noted for iron sharpening in its early days.
Ìlú Irin suggests that the name Ilorin evolves from iron smelting in the area while Ìlú Erin implies that the community is probably associated with elephants.
Also, a myth says Oláderin was a popular elephant hunter in the locality and that Oko Erin, the name of a settlement in Ilorin, shows the town’s relationship with elephants.
Ede is a town with a rich history and incredible people. Long after the reign of the first Timi Agbale Olofa Ina, Ede remains a town of no-nonsense indigenes – going by the way its people fiercely defend Abere, a large portion of Ede land – from external incursion.
Ede is a town I love. It was the first town I visited upon my arrival from Lagos State as state correspondent of The PUNCH in 2003. It was my first week on the job and I was about to go back to Lagos for the weekend when the multitalented Olumide Ajayi barged into my office and said, “Ha, egbon, e je ki a wo town; let’s go and have a drink.” “No, as you see me so, na Lagos I dey,” I replied him. “Ha, egbon, e le lo o. You can’t go; you must see my principal,” Olumide insisted. But I responded, “I’ll see your principal when I return.” “Ha, no, o ti o. Ede is just 10 minutes from Osogbo. It’s on the way to Lagos, we’ll just branch, see my principal and you’ll be on your way to Lagos,” he maintained. “Ok,” I gave in.
Olumide jumped into my car and we drove to the residence of the first public figure I made friends with in Ede, Rt. Hon. Adejare Bello, a former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly and former Ambassador to Mexico with concurrent accreditation to Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama. May Olumide’s soul continue to rest in peace.
An embodiment of charisma, tact, intelligence and integrity, the immediate past Timi of Ede, Oba Tijani Oladokun Ajagbe Oyewusi, the Agbonran II, ruled from 1976 to 2008. Through a colleague, Wale Folarin PhD, I later came to closely know the colourful Oba Oyewusi, who stood for peace and united Ede sons and daughters at home and abroad.
A man of vision, class and character, the great Timi Oyewusi was schoolmates with the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade; the late Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba Olaolu Ayoola; the late Justice Bolarinwa Babalakin, the late Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), at the Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife.
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Later, I became friends with the first executive Governor of Osun State, Senator Adetunji Isiaka Adeleke aka Serubawon, a jolly good fellow and gentleman. One day, Serubawon called me, “Tunde, I have an advert for you. Can you, please, come to the country house in Ede?” “I’m on the way, sir,” I said.
By the time I got to Adeleke’s home in Ede, the sun was fully up, but Adekele had lost his shine. I asked if there was anything the matter and he replied tersely, “We lost a family member.”
He gave me the artwork of the advert; it was an obituary of an extremely beautiful woman. “I don’t know where my chequebook is,” he said, looking for a piece of paper. He asked me the amount of the full-page colour advert, and I told him. Serubawon scribbled the amount on the piece of paper, signed it and gave it to me. “Please, go to Pacific Bank and ask for the manager. I’ll call him before you get there.”
The manager and the accountant of the bank were at the gate waiting for me. I presented the paper to them and they gave me the advert fee with tonnes of courtesy. I headed straight to the office to process the obituary of Mrs Vero Imade Adeleke PhD, Davido’s mother.
I also know some other Ede politicians. They include ex-Ede LG chair, Alhaji Kamarudeen Adegoke; Dr B.T Salam, OSHA member, Taofeek Layiwola; Osun Special Adviser, Sunday Atidade; ex-House of Reps member, Mufutau Ayinde; the late Pa Fatai Rolling Dollars, the late Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Alhaji Laide Adeniran, who invented the popular political slogan, “Change ese re, Ede lo wa, Ede lo de,” among others.
I do not know for how long the reigning Timi stayed in ìpèbí – Yoruba’s kings’ college – but I know that no ìpèbí in the Land of Oduduwa will approve an oba to kneel in greeting to anyone mortal. This is why what the Timi did in public in Ilorin was an abomination. It was unheard of. It was an insult to the rich history of the Yoruba. I wished it was not the Timi.
I wished the Timi had just kept quiet after committing the taboo. But no, he did not. He issued a terrible statement in support of the sacrilege.
Timi’s statement said, “Oba Lawal, having an imposing frame, bent to exchange pleasantries with the Emir because Alhaji Sulu Gambari, possibly due to his age or other personal reasons, could not stand to greet the guests who went to pay him homage.
“At first, Oba Lawal leaned towards Sulu Gambari to greet him, but because the Emir could not still hear greetings from his visitor, Baba Timi had to bend and move closer for clearer communication to take place.
“We also note that it was not only Baba Timi that Emir Sulu Gambari did not rise on his feet to greet. The Emir did not leave his seat to greet any of the guests who entered the inner chamber to meet him.”
Timi’s statement elicits some questions, “Is the Timi saying Alhaji Sulu-Gambari hears better when subjects kneel to speak to him than when they move inch-close to him? “Does kneeling to Emir Sulu-Gambari bring his subjects closer to him than when they move some inches close to him while standing?” The Timi said in his statement that he bent? Did he bend or kneel? And must he kneel to move close to Sulu-Gambari?
I’m sure the Timi knows this Yoruba proverb, but if he does not, here’s it: Ka ka ki n dobale fun Gambari, ma kuku ku! It means, “Instead of me to prostrate to Gambari, I rather die.”
To be continued.
Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com
Facebook: @Tunde Odesola
X: @Tunde_Odesola
The unkingly Timi and lousy Wasiu Ayinde (1)
Opinion
Osun election: Àtàọ́ja should stop running joro-jara-joro
Osun election: Àtàọ́ja should stop running joro-jara-joro
Tunde Odesola
(Published in the PUNCH, on Friday, July 24, 2026)
It’s midmorning in Àtàọ́ja’s palace. The sun beamed a friendly smile, quite different from the furious furnace it was preparing for the afternoon. As gently as the breeze caressed the trees in the palace, two pigeons landed on silent feet in the courtyard. They were on a joint mission. To scavenge. Looking right and left, up and down, beaks at work, wings at the ready, the bouncy birds pecked food in the palace soil. For the male and female pigeons, danger lies not in flying; it lies in walking. Sycophancy walks naked on the palace grounds.
Even the king’s kààakí was caught unawares. It couldn’t herald what was about to happen because everything occurred at a dizzying speed. The Àtàọ́ja, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, ran out from the inner recess of the palace, his agbada òfì billowing in the Osogbo wind; kira-kita, kira-kita, the king bolted like Usain Bolt. Where is the king running to?
In his breakneck flight, Àtàọ́ja Osogbo forgot to wear his neck beads! I-m-a-g-i-n-e! But he luckily remembered to wear his cap. I suspect it was ancestral forefathers known as ‘àwọn alálẹ̀’ who reminded him to wear his shoes. Otherwise, the king might have appeared out of sorts at the state government event he was fleeing to.
Thankfully, when Àtàọ́ja Olanipekun reached his destination, he still had some breath in his lungs. He sat down, resplendent in white and blue agbada, clenched the microphone and confessed in Yoruba, “Ẹ̀ ri pé ń ò kólẹ̀kẹ̀ ọ́rùn? Mo sáré dé hin ni. Tí a bà á wá, wọ́n á ní, ‘Háà, kò mọ̀ le bọ́ta mọ́!’ Gbogbo ohun tí wọ́n ń sọ là ń gbọ́.”
I’ll translate the king’s speech in English: “Can’t you see that I am not wearing my royal beads? (It is because) I ran to this event. Because if I did not come, they would say, ‘Ha! He cannot come out again!’ We hear everything that they (opposition) are saying. I will not stop eulogising Adeleke Jackson Nurudeen for his excellent performance in Osun State.”
Unfortunately, Olanipekun thinks that by singing himself hoarse on the praise of ebullient Governor Ademola Adeleke, he is giving the re-election bid of the Asiwaju of Ede a boost. No, he is not. If he was, the apex socio-cultural association of Osogbo sons and daughters, the Osogbo Progressive Union, would not openly criticise him for publicly canvassing support for Adeleke and attacking the opposition on many occasions.
The penis of the bird does not dangle outside; it is tucked inside the bird, says a Yoruba proverb. This proverb preaches decorum. If the king had been decorous like other Osun kings, who, though, have their favourites among the governorship candidates, but who have kept their support within the ambit of decency, the OPU wouldn’t have embarrassed him with a public disclaimer.
The Timi of Ede, Oba Muniru Adesola Lawal, had been an exemplar in his support for Adeleke, who hails from his domain. The Timi had been regal: zero aggression, zero hate words, zero campaign against other parties. Oba Timi has shown emotional intelligence while fully supporting Adeleke, his son. That is how to be a father to all subjects. Of course, if Timi was blindfolded at the polling booth on election day, his royal thumb would still locate Accord Party on the ballot, whereas some carricachop from another land is claiming to know Ọ̀ṣọ́ more than Ọ̀ṣọ́’s mother.
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It’s undignifying for the elderly to run helter-skelter, says a Yoruba proverb distilled in these words, “Gbàmí, gbàmí ò ye àgbà.” Another proverb that cautions against kùrùkẹrẹ movement says, “Ẹní wọ bàtà ẹsẹ̀ òsì méjì, ó níbití ó ń lọ.”
The importance of royal objects such as crown, beads and staff is interrogated in the seminal work, “Yoruba: Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought,” written by Henry J. Drewal et al, and published by The Centre for African Art, New York, in 1989. Similarly, the royal totems – crown, beads and staff – are also a subject of scholarship in Rowland Abiodun’s “Yoruba Art and Language: Seeking the African in African Art,” published by Cambridge University Press in 2014.
Drewal and Abiodun aver that in Yoruba thought, the crown, beads and staff are sacred totems that signify divine authority, spiritual protection, leadership, ancestral continuity, and the king’s covenant with the people and the gods.
In both books, the crown is regarded as a sacred emblem containing the spiritual essence that connects the present with the past. Royal beads signify dignity and prestige, abundance and prosperity, and spiritual energy. The staff is an instrument of authority, justice, fairness, and protection.
Joro-jara-joro is an onomatopoeic word that means helter-skelter. Onomatopoeic words are words that sound like their meanings. Examples: buzz, hiss, slap, sleep, twinkle, jab, splash, tear, bang, etc. Joro-jara-joro was amplified by Afrobeat creator Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in his 1976 song, “Zombie”, which mocks Nigerian soldiers’ blind allegiance to dictatorship.
In “Zombie”, Fela caricatures Nigerian soldiers as unthinking brutes whose sole skill is to chaotically rove joro-jara-joro against the masses, like zombies on the mission to “go and kill, go and quench, go and die”. Fela sings, “Zombie way na one way; joro-jara-joro/No break no jam, no sense; Na joro-jara-joro….”
There would have been no reason to write this article because I had made my intention clear enough in an earlier article entitled, “Governor Adeleke and a tale of three Àtàọ́jas,” published in The PUNCH on Friday, July 17, 2026. My preoccupation in the article was to call the attention of the monarch to some of his unkingly utterances. My intention wasn’t political. But an insinuation, especially from some irritating ‘e-rats’ and ‘data boys’, who attempted to paint my intervention in political colours, made this sequel inevitable.
In line with their zombie mentality, a particular ‘e-rat’ along with his fellow ‘data boys’ accused me of meddlesomeness and maintained that it lies within the rights of the Àtàọ́ja to express support for any candidate of his choice.
Clearly, the accusation of meddlesomeness was borne out of dripping ignorance. If not, an enlightened mind would see that the actions of the Àtàọ́ja diminish his traditional stool that represents the Yoruba worldview of unity, morality, justice, fairness and equity. The allegation that the Àtàọ́ja had the right to support any candidate of his choice is valid to the extent that such a right must not violate the principles of fair play, rule of law and decency.
By openly calling the opposition names in a viral video, did the Àtàọ́ja adhere to the principles of fairness and tolerance? By his vitriolic speeches, was he not stoking the embers of strife? If I could be provided with the evidence of one Osun traditional ruler who had been as politically intolerant as the Àtàọ́ja, against the ruling party, I shall tender an apology in my next article.
In one of the bad-taste videos, the Àtàọ́ja arrogantly disclosed how he rejected wise counsel by a concerned citizen, who told him the danger in his public support for Adeleke over other candidates. His words, “One of my people asked me why I am so audacious to the extent of overly supporting one candidate (Adeleke) over others; what if he doesn’t win?”
The king answered the worried citizen. Àtàọ́ja opened his mouth and played god, declaring with finality: “He will win.” Olanipekun’s divisive posture is most unbecoming of an ọba, whose palace should be an abode to seek conflict resolution by his subjects, including politicians. Àtàọ́ja should not be the epicentre of conflict.
In the recent past, I have ventilated my views on the actions of the Ooni of Ife, Oba of Lagos, Apetu of Ipetumodu, Alapomu of Apomu, Oluwo of Iwo, and Emir of Ilorin, among other traditional rulers. I strongly believe that it behoves the citizen to hold traditional rulers to the highest standards because the traditional institution embodies the ethos and pathos of a race.
For ‘e-rats’ and ‘data boys’, whose stock-in-trade is abuse, there is a lesson in the conduct of a member of the House of Representatives, Bamidele Salam. Salam is my friend of over 20 years. Though we have had moments of sharp disagreement, emotions never boiled over to name-calling.
One day, BS, that’s Salam’s nickname, saw my Facebook post on Governor Adeleke. In the post, I advised the governor against excessive dancing and to shear off some personalities who were following him about like houseflies following the wound on a dog’s ears. In the Facebook post about three years ago, I cautioned that the image of the governor dancing to the faintest of drumbeats amid a retinue of hangers-on was not good.
As soon as BS saw the post, he reached out to me on the phone and said, “Ọ̀rẹ́, ọ̀rọ̀ ò rí bẹ́yẹn o. Your post does not reflect the great work Adeleke is doing in Osun…” I smiled from the other end of the phone because Bamidele was pushing Adeleke’s narrative while ignoring the kernel of my Facebook post. When I insisted on the need for the governor to do better in regard to dancing, Bamidele said every man was a work in progress, including me. Bamidele’s example is how to engage intelligently; a lesson government and opposition ‘e-rats’ and ‘data boys’ should learn.
The demarcation between a ruling party and an opposition party is nebulous. Practically speaking, ideological philosophies among Nigeria’s political parties are nonexistent. This is why Àtàọ́ja should be careful in his untraditional support for Adeleke. The Adeleke he sees in the Accord Party today could be in the All Progressives Congress tomorrow. Olanipekun should not burn the bridge of friendship today because he might need to use the bridge tomorrow.
This is the lesson Àtàọ́ja Olanipekun should see in his recent visit to President Bola Tinubu in Abuja. When politicians do their thing, a respectable ọba should maintain a dignified distance. He should not be in the fray.
Are you shocked that Kabiyesi Olanipekun was in Aso Rock a few days ago? Yes, he was. As a guest of President Bola Tinubu. This is the story of how the monarch used one stone to kill two birds. Àtàọ́ja’s daughter was graduating from the Law School in Abuja. An influential Osun State indigene, worried by the king’s intolerant posture against the Osun All Progressives Congress, had arranged for the king to meet with the President. It took some time for the king to meet the President.
During their meeting, the President expressed worry over Àtàọ́ja’s political remarks against the APC in Osun, urging him to allow for a level playing field. I gathered that Àtàọ́ja told the President that he was sold on the Adeleke ticket. Personally, I do not fault Àtàọ́ja’s position – supporting a candidate of his choice; it’s his brickbat approach that is reproachable.
If Tinubu could open his doors to Olanipekun and sit down to dialogue with him, who says there cannot be a dialogue between Tinubu and Adeleke? And if a dialogue occurs between the two and an agreement is struck, would the king not feel uneasy relating with his ‘enemies’ in the APC? The king should always spare a thought for the flip side of things. That is what the wise do.
“Àgbàlagbà kìí ṣe lángbá, lángbá,” is a cautionary proverb for reckless elders. The pit of animosity must not be dug too deep because the digger might fall into it. A word is enough for the wise.
Kabiyesi Àtàọ́ja, kara o le o.
///
Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com
Facebook: @Tunde Odesola
X: @Tunde_Odesola
Osun election: Àtàọ́ja should stop running joro-jara-joro
Opinion
UI, UCH and the Question of Inclusive Leadership
UI, UCH and the Question of Inclusive Leadership
By Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade
agunbiadeib@gmail.com
July 23, 2026
The appointment of Professor Peter Olamakinde Olapegba as the 14th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), effective November 1, 2026, is deserving of congratulations. I wish him a successful tenure as he takes on the responsibility of leading Nigeria’s premier university.
The reported competitive process through which he emerged—following the assessment of eight candidates and the shortlisting of five for the final stage—is commendable, provided it was conducted transparently and strictly on merit.
However, this development also raises an important question that deserves honest and constructive discussion: When will a qualified Muslim have the opportunity to emerge as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan?
This question is not directed at Professor Olapegba or his Christian faith. If he emerged as the best candidate through a fair and transparent process, then he deserves the support of all Nigerians. My concern is whether qualified Nigerians of different faiths enjoy equal opportunities to compete for the highest leadership positions in our national institutions.
The same question applies to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, where a change in leadership is expected in the coming months. It is therefore time for stakeholders to begin constructive conversations about the appointment of the next Chief Medical Director (CMD).
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I believe that qualified and competent Muslim professionals should be encouraged and given a fair opportunity to compete for the position. If the best candidate happens to be a Muslim, there should be no hesitation in appointing that individual. Equally, if the best candidate is a Christian or belongs to another faith, the same principle of merit should apply.
This is not a call for religious quotas or preferential treatment. Rather, it is a call for a level playing field.
A Muslim should not be appointed simply because he is a Muslim, just as a Christian should not be appointed simply because he is a Christian. Leadership must be based on competence, integrity, experience, and the capacity to deliver.
However, merit can only be meaningful when every qualified candidate has a genuine opportunity to compete without bias or discrimination.
The University of Ibadan and UCH are national institutions that belong to all Nigerians. Their leadership should therefore reflect the principles of fairness, inclusiveness, equal opportunity, and merit.
As Professor Olapegba prepares to assume office, I congratulate him once again and wish him a successful tenure. At the same time, I believe this is the right moment to ask whether our leadership selection processes truly provide equal opportunities for all qualified Nigerians.
As the succession process at UCH approaches, I urge stakeholders to ensure that no qualified candidate is excluded—consciously or unconsciously—because of religious identity. Let the process be transparent, competitive, and firmly anchored on merit.
I am not asking for a Muslim to be appointed simply because he is a Muslim. I am asking that no qualified Muslim should be denied the opportunity to lead simply because of his religious identity.
The same principle should apply to every Nigerian, regardless of faith or background.
Let merit prevail. Let competence prevail. Let fairness prevail.
UI, UCH and the Question of Inclusive Leadership
Opinion
Case for replicating the Oyo kidnap-rescue template nationwide, By Farooq Kperogi
Case for replicating the Oyo kidnap-rescue template nationwide, By Farooq Kperogi
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Kperogi is a renowned columnist and United States-based professor of journalism
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