I will soon go ahead to talk about Ìbádàn and I won’t do it to flatter any of the good sons and daughters of Ìbádàn whose cognomen (oríkì orílẹ̀) is “ọmọ aj’òrosùn, ọmọ afìkarahun f’órí mú. Ìbádán má jà má jà, bó ṣe k’árá ‘wájú l’ ẹ́rú. Ibadan 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 Ìbádàn, 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 Alhaji Síkírù Àyìndé Barrister, an Illustrious son of Ìbádàn, who was always proud of Ayẹ́yẹ́, his birth area in Ìbádàn, each time he dabbled into his Olúyọ̀lé Fuji. The common phrases in his song were “l’Ólùyọlé n’ilé ọmọ Agbájé” or “ọmọ Ibàdàn kínni 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 Ìbádàn’s histrio-cultural events and antecedents, permit me to briefly talk a little about Ẹgbẹ́ Àjọṣepọ̀ Fún Ìtẹsiwájú Gbogbo Wa whose struggle was launched on December 12, 2024, which has been growing in leaps and bounds.
Let me quickly say that Ẹgbẹ́ Àjọṣepọ̀ Fún Ìtẹsiwájú Gbogbo Wa is not a political group, but a socio-political association that operates in the mold of a pressure group whose vision is Governorship Power Rotation (GPR) in Ọ̀yọ́ State. The reason behind their asking for power rotation is not to create an infighting or a crisis in Òyọ́ politics, but 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 that Ọ̀yọ́ State is senior to had been using rotational arrangement.
Now, let me go back to describe Ìbádàn that has become a nation and an institution on its own. Each time I get to Bẹrẹ Area in Ìbádàn and I look round, the word that used to pass through my mind is “ayé” which means “earth” in English language. And, without any exaggeration, Ìbádàn is an entity on its own that cannot be compared to any other entity in Nigeria, west Africa, Africa and the world.
Multiple glances in a circular or circumference posture with the sharpest binoculars cannot capture the entire Ibadan that seems to be a cosmopolitan city without a beginning or an end. Truth be told, Ìbádàn is a force to reckon with, not only in the politics of Ọ̀yọ́ State, but also in the politics of Nigeria since it was the seat of government since the days of Western Region.
Three expressions that can describe Ìbádàn in terms of its size, impact or effect and its longtime relevance are:
- Bá a ba r’Érin ká pá a r’Érin, Àjànàkú kọjá a mo rí n ǹ kan fìrí.
- Eerin làkàtabú.
- Òjò ti ń p’Agún bọ, ọjọ́ ti pẹ́.
Going further in the description of Ìbádàn and its impact, relevance and effect, I remember the powerful of Tọ́pẹ́ Àlàbí, a leading gospel singer in Nigeria, when she said in a revelatory song whose thematic preoccupation is self-discovery that “ẹni tí ò rí mi kò rí n ǹ kan kan”.
The literal meaning of Tọ́pẹ́’s song is: “anyone who claims he doesn’t see me doesn’t see any other thing”. I like to remember this song whenever I experience opposition. It always reminds me that opposition is a proof of my relevance as nobody will oppose a nonentity or someone who is not relevant in the society.
By application, giving both surface, medial and deeper 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 tongue and such an individual needs a teething powder that mothers used to give their children who were growing teeth in those days.
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 and title it Ìbádàn. The poem Ibadan is a short but vivid description of the city of Ibadan, Nigeria. The poem is well-known for its striking imagery and structure and 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 Ìbádàn that we won’t repeat what we are saying for many days if we really want to discuss one of the biggest or largest city in the world.
Having said this, let me go a beat deeper again to say that the other regions in Ọ̀yọ́ State have started to demand that power begins to rotate. Some people called it power shift, but I quickly remind myself to stick to power rotation because power can shift without being rotated. If power shifts, the probability of its returning is what the Nigerians will call “fifty-fifty”. But, if power rotates, it already suggests that it will return back to where it started from, which reminds me of one of king Sunny Ade’s songs where he said: “atòrì l’ayé, bó bá lò síwájú, á tún lò sẹ́yìn ni” to explain away the flexibility and the vicissitude of the world.
Beginning with Òkèògùn, to Ìbàràpá, to Ọ̀yọ́ and to Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́, the common statement is “let power rotates”, which means that the position of governorship should begin to rotate with a view pleasing God and humanity for the sake of peaceful coexistence and, mostly, to allow development to go round Ọ̀yọ́ State.
Finally, the request for power rotation supposed not to be a strange phenomenon to Ìbádàn 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 Ìbádàn has graciously given its similarity in the past.
We can all remember through the records of history that, in the past, Ìbádàn has accomodated many non indigenes who have completely integrated into Ìbádàn socio-cultural, historical, political and economic life and living. We had people from Ẹ̀pẹ́, Ìjẹ̀bú, Ìjẹ̀ṣà, Ọ̀yọ́, Òkèògùn Oǹdó, Èkìtì, Kwara, Ọ̀sun, Kogí, Èkó, and also, many non-Yoruba indigenes who migrated to settle in Ìbádàn.
But, as if this magnamity and large-heartedness was not enough, the most surprising thing was that, tracing through the royal lineage, we have seen non-Ibadan indigenes occupied the throne of Olúbàdàn. Historical records have shown that some past Olúbàdàns were not originally from Ìbádàn, but they migrated to Ìbádàn, 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) was said to have had Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́ ancestry. Despite his roots, he was fully integrated into Ìbádàn society, rose through the chieftaincy system, and became the Olúbàdàn.
Several other individuals with roots outside Ìbádàn such as Ògbómòsó, Ifẹ̀, Ijẹ̀bú, Òkèògùn, etc have held high chieftaincy titles and ascended to the Olúbàdàn throne in the past. Some of these people were warlords, traders, or administrators who migrated to Ìbádàn and became fully assimilated into the society.
Ìbádàn’s chieftaincy system is merit-based, which 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-indigenes to become Olúbàdàn, which is not possible in other ancient towins, is possible in Ìbádàn. The simple answer is, unlike other Yorùbá towns where kingship is strictly hereditary, Ìbádàn has been following a chieftaincy ladder system where anyone who has risen through either the civilian (Ẹgbẹ́ Àgbà) or military (Balógun) lines can become Olúbàdàn. This system rewards contributions to the city rather than ancestral origin. And, as we can all testify to it has paid Ìbádàn off very well. Today, there is no confusion about who becomes the next Olúbàdàn whenever there is vacancy on the throne.
In conclusion, if this was the way the progenitors of Ìbádàn like Àjàyí, Ìbíkúnlé, Ògúnmọ́lá, Olúyọ̀lé, etc saw life and how it should be lived, which, as I said, has paid off in the end, there is no reason why the modern day Ìbádàn indigenes should change the nature of Ìbádàn’s magnanimity and philanthropic disposition.
In the final analysis, I can say with all the evidences of those who have ruled in Ìbádàn as Olúbàdàn as well as politicians from the time of Awólọ́wọ̀ and Akíntọ́lá as the premiers of the western regions, to the regime of the military rulers like Lieutenant Colonel Adékúnlé Fájuyì, Colonel Robert Adéyínká Adébáyọ̀, Brigadier General Christopher Olúwọlé Rótìmí, Colonel Akíntúndé Adúwò and civilian Governor, Chief Bólá Ìgẹ, who were not from Ìbádàn, but didn’t carry what Ìbádàn as the capital city should enjoy to their various towns and villages, that Ìbádàn will fair well under non Ìbádàn indigene as the Governor of Ọ̀yọ́ State.
In other words, whoever becomes the Governor of Ọ̀yọ́ State in the end from outside Ìbádàn will have no option than to contribute to the development of Ìbádàn, the “ayé nínú ayé” of our world.
Written by: Pst. Favour Adéwoyin, General Secretary of Ègbé Àjọṣepọ̀ Fún Ìtẹsiwájú Gbogbo Wa.
