In the soul-rich land of Oyo, where time is measured not just in days but in drums, thrones, and tradition, history turned another golden page today. The sun did not rise like it always does it rose with a story. It rose with a crown.
Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade has been officially crowned as the 46th Alaafin of Oyo, a mantle heavy with centuries of wisdom, struggle, power, and divine legacy. The ceremony was held at Olivet Baptist High School, a ground now hallowed by tradition, where past Alaafins must have looked on from the spirit world, nodding their ancestral approval.
The moment was more than regal it was cultural resurrection. Oyo, once home to empires and echoes of Oranyan, sang again today, not just with music, but with unity. The people came out in their thousands, clad in colorful aso-oke, gele tied like crowns themselves, eyes gleaming with pride. The voices of griots pierced the air, recounting the lineage and lore that brought this new monarch to the throne.
Governor Seyi Makinde, the people’s steward, stood at the crossroads of culture and governance, presenting the newly crowned Alaafin with words wrapped in reverence. This was no rushed coronation, he said, but a process as sacred and deliberate as the stool itself. A new page of royalty was opened with the ink of legitimacy.
Royalty recognized royalty, and so, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, and the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, among other dignitaries, graced the occasion. They stood as sentinels of unity in a time where the nation, too often fractured, must remember the strength of tradition. But just as Oyo welcomed a new dawn, it also bid farewell to an old star.
News rippled through the city like a quiet drumbeat the death of Alhaji Yekini Ayoade Adeojo, a stalwart of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a man whose footprints are etched in the political sands of Oyo. He was not only a political figure but a custodian of experience, a man who wore the dual hats of religion and statecraft with dignity.
Governor Makinde, with a heavy heart, mourned his passing, calling it “the end of an era. Adeojo, the Seriki Musulumi of Yorubaland, was a symbol of coexistence, his life a blend of faith, politics, and elder statesmanship.
Today, Oyo is suspended between past and present. The coronation of a new Alaafin brings hope, culture, and continuity. The passing of a political sage reminds us of the inevitable silence that comes for all but also of the legacies we leave behind.
So, the drums of Oyo beat on For one, they beat in celebration. For another, they beat in mourning. But for the land, they beat in harmony marking time,honoring history, and calling forth the future.
