By Favour Adewoyin
I will soon go ahead to talk about Ìbádàn and will not do it to flatter any of the good sons and daughters of Ìbàdàn whose cognomen (oríkì orílẹ̀) is ‘ọmọ aj’òrosùn, ọmọ afìkarahun f’óri mú. Ìbàdàn má jà, má jà, bó ṣe k’árá ‘wájú l’ ẹ́rú. Ìbàdàn ń m’ẹ́rú, ẹrú ẹ̀ ń m’ẹ́rú, gbogbo wa wá d’abẹ́rú ń m’ẹ́rú l’ójú ogun.’ A little further on the cognomen of Ìbàdàn, the praise-singer will say: ‘Ìbádàn, ìlú Àjàyí, ìlú Ìbíkúnlé, Ìlú Ògúnmọ́lá, olódògbó k’ẹ̀ri kẹ̀ri l’ójú ogun.’
This reminds me of the different popular songs of the Late Alhaji Síkírù Àyìndé (Barrister), an illustrious son of Ìbàdàn, whom was always proud of Ayẹ́yẹ́, his birthplace in Ìbàdàn, each time he dabbled in his Olúyọ̀lé Fújì. The common phrases in his song were ‘l’Ólùyọlé n’ilé ọmọ Agbájé’ or ‘Ọmọ Ibàdàn kí ni sóò, sóò súọ ni. Ẹran kí la jẹ l’ánàá? Ẹran-síkìn ni! Kí la e j’ókòó? Kúsìn-ǹ-sià ni ….’
But, before I go too deep into Ìbàdàn’s historico-cultural events and antecedents, I would like to talk a little about *‘Ẹgbẹ́ Àjọṣepọ̀ fún Ìtẹ̀síwájú Gbogbo Wa’* whose struggle was launched on 12 December, 2024, and which has been growing in leaps and bounds since its then.
However, let me quickly say that *Ẹgbẹ́ Àjọṣepọ̀ fún Ìtẹ̀síwájú Gbogbo Wa* is not a political group, but it is a socio-political association that operates in the form of a pressure group as its vision is Gubernatorial Power Rotation (GPR) in Ọ̀yọ́ State. The reason behind their asking for power rotation is not to create an infight or a crisis in Ọ̀yọ́ politics; rather, it is to make an appeal to reason that fairness, justice, equity and equality of men and women before God should be part of the political considerations in the politics of the Pacesetter State, especially when all the other States in the Southwest, which Ọ̀yọ́ State seniors, have been using a rotational arrangement.
Now, let me go back to describe Ìbàdàn which has become a nation as well as an institution on its own. Each time I get to Bẹrẹ in Ìbàdàn and look round, the word that always comes to my mind is ‘ayé’, which means ‘earth’ in the English language. And, without any exaggeration, Ìbàdàn is an entity that cannot be compared to any other entity in Nigeria, West Africa, Africa and the world.
Furthermore, multiple glances in a circular or circumference posture, with the sharpest binoculars, cannot capture the entire Ìbàdàn that seems to be a cosmopolitan city without a beginning or an end. Truth be told, Ìbàdàn is a force to reckon with, not only in the politics of Ọ̀yọ́ State, but also in the politics of Nigeria because it has the seat of government since the days of Western Region.
Without a doubt, three expressions that can describe Ìbàdàn in terms of its size, its impact or effect and its longtime relevance are:
1. Bá a bá r’Érin ká pá a r’Érin, Àjànàkú kọjá a mo rí ǹ kan fìrí.
2. Erin lákátabú.
3. Òjò ti ń p’Agún bọ̀, ọjọ́ ti pẹ́.
Going further in the description of Ìbàdàn and its impacts, its relevance and its effects, I remember the powerful rendition of Tọ́pẹ́ Àlàbí, a leading gospel singer in Nigeria, when she said that ‘Ẹ̀ni tí ò rí mi, kò rí n ǹ kan kan,’ in a revelatory song, whose thematic preoccupation is self-discovery.
In particular, the literal meaning of Tọ́pẹ́’s song is: ‘Anyone, who claims that (s)he doesn’t see me, doesn’t see any other thing.’ I like to remember this song whenever I experience opposition. Specifically, it always reminds me that opposition is a proof of my relevance as nobody will oppose a nonentity or someone whom is not relevant in society.
By application, considering both the surface assessment and the deep assessment of Ìbàdàn, anyone, who claims that Ìbádàn is not a force to reckon with in the socio-cultural, political and economic history of Nigeria, must be biting his or her tongue, and such an individual needs a teething powder that mothers give their children whom are growing teeth.
No wonder John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo (commonly known as J.P. Clark), a prominent Nigerian poet and playwright, celebrated for his rich and evocative poetry, wrote a poem entitled ‘Ìbàdàn’. The poem, ‘Ìbàdàn’, is a short, but vivid description of the city of Ìbàdàn, Nigeria. The poem is well-known for its striking imagery and structure. It goes thus:
Ibadan,
running splash of rust
and gold — flung and scattered
among seven hills like broken
china in the sun.
So much can be said about Ìbàdàn and we will not repeat what we are saying for many days if we really want to discuss one of the largest cities in the world.
Having said this, let me go a bit deeper again to say that the other regions in Ọ̀yọ́ State are beginning to demand that power be rotated. Although some people refer to it as a ‘power shift’, I would prefer to stick to the term ‘power rotation’ because power can shift without being rotated. If power shifts, the probability of its returning to the appropriate region is what the Nigerians will call ‘fifty-fifty’. But, if power rotates, it already suggests that it will return to where it starts from. This reminds me of one of King Sunny Ade’s songs in which he said, ‘Àtòrì l’ayé, bó bá lọ s’íwájú, á tún lọ s’ẹ́yìn ni,’ to explain the flexibility and the vicissitude of the world.
Beginning from Òkèògùn, Ìbàràpá, Ọ̀yọ́ to Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́, the common statement is ‘Let power rotates,’ which means that the selection of gubernatorial candidates should begin to rotate with a view to pleasing God and humanity for the sake of peaceful co-existence and, mostly, to achieve an all-round development Ọ̀yọ́ State.
Finally, the request for power rotation is supposed not to be a strange phenomenon to Ìbàdàn because the other stakeholders are not asking for too much. Apart from the fact that they have right to what they are asking for, they are asking for what Ìbàdàn had graciously given to its counterparts in the past.
For the record, we can all remember that, in the past, Ìbàdàn had accomodated many non-natives whom were completely integrated into Ìbádàn socio-cultural, historical, political and economic life and their progenies are living in Ìbàdàn today. We had people, from Ẹ̀pẹ́, Ìjẹ̀bú, Ìjẹ̀ṣà, Ọ̀yọ́, Òkè-ògùn, Oǹdó, Èkìtì, Kwárà, Ọ̀ṣun, Kogí, Èkó and many non-Yoruba indigenous people, whom migrated to Ìbàdàn and settled therein.
But, as if this magnanimity and large-heartedness were not enough, the most surprising thing was that, tracing the royal lineage, we have seen non-Ìbàdàn indigenous people occupy the throne of Olúbàdàn. Historical records have shown that some past Olúbàdàns were not originally from Ìbàdàn as they migrated to Ìbádàn, were integrated into the system, and rose through the unique chieftaincy ladder to become the Olúbàdàn of Ìbádàn. For example, Olúbàdàn Okùnọlá Abass Alẹ́ṣinlọ́yẹ́ (1930–1946), who played a significant role in Ìbádàn’s commerce and politics and whose tenure was marked by modernisation, was of Nupe descent. Another example was Olúbàdàn Dàda Ọpẹ́dère (1914–1925) who was said to have had Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́ ancestry. Despite his root, he was fully integrated into Ìbádàn society, as he rose through the chieftaincy system, and became the Olúbàdàn. Several other individuals, with roots outside Ìbádàn such as Ògbómòsó, Ifẹ̀, Ijẹ̀bú, Òkè-ògùn, etc., had held prestigious chieftaincies and had ascended the Olúbàdàn throne in the past. Some of these people were warlords, traders or administrators who migrated to Ìbádàn and became assimilated fully into society.
Unlike other kingdoms, Ìbàdàn’s chieftaincy system is merit-based; it allows individuals to ascend the ranks regardless of their ancestral origin, as long as they contribute to the city’s growth and meet the traditional requirements.
At this juncture, someone following my writing may like to know how this arrangement that accommodates non-indigenous people to become Olúbàdàn (as this practice is not possible in other ancient towns) is possible in Ìbàdàn. The simple answer is that, unlike other Yorùbá towns in which kingship is strictly hereditary, Ìbádàn has been following a chieftaincy system in which anyone whom has risen through either the civilian (Ẹgbẹ́ Àgbà) line or the military (Balógun) line can become Olúbàdàn. This system rewards contributions to the city rather than ancestral origin. And, as we can all testify, it has paid Ìbádàn off very well. Today, there is no confusion about whom becomes the next Olúbàdàn whenever there is a vacancy on the throne.
On the whole, if this was the way the progenitors of Ìbádàn, including Àjàyí, Ìbíkúnlé, Ògúnmọ́lá, Olúyọ̀lé, etc., saw life and how it should be lived, which, as I said early on, has paid off in the end, there is no reason for which the modern-day Ìbàdàn indigenous people should change the nature of Ìbàdàn’s magnanimity and philanthropic disposition.
To sum up, I can say, with all the evidence of those whom had ruled in Ìbádàn as Olúbàdàn as well as politicians, from the time of Awólọ́wọ̀ and Akíntọ́lá as the premiers of the western region to the regime of the military rulers including Lieutenant Colonel Adékúnlé Fájuyì, Colonel Robert Adéyínká Adébáyọ̀, Brigadier General Christopher Olúwọlé Rótìmí, Colonel Akíntúndé Adúwò and civilian Governor, Chief Bólá Ìgẹ, whom were not from Ìbàdàn, but did not carry what Ìbàdàn as the capital city should enjoy to their various towns and villages, that Ìbádàn will be fair well if non-Ìbàdàn indigenous people are elected as Governors of Ọ̀yọ́ State. In other words, in the long run, whoever becomes the Governor of Ọ̀yọ́ State, from other towns in the State other than Ìbàdàn, will have no option but to contribute to the development of Ìbádàn — the ‘ayé nínú ayé’ of our world.
Written by: *Pst. Favour Adéwọyin,* General Secretary of *Ègbé Àjọṣepọ̀ fún Ìtẹ̀síwájú Gbogbo Wa.*
