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What was supposed to be a cultural celebration of unity, history, and royal reverence turned into a self-aggrandizing political charade as Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, shamelessly hijacked this year’s Ojude Oba Festival, turning the revered heritage event into what many now call “Ojude Dapo Abiodun.”

The Ojude Oba Festival — historically known for its regal display of tradition, where Regberegbe Age Grades pay homage to the Awujale of Ijebuland — was marred by what many have described as the governor’s tasteless and politically motivated antics. In a year where decorum and solemnity should have prevailed due to the ill health of the Awujale, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, Abiodun instead chose to insert himself into the symbolic center of Ijebu royalty.

Abiodun, who hails from Iperu Remo, a town outside the Ijebu heartland, ignored protocol and centuries of tradition by positioning himself as the central figure of homage, receiving accolades and tributes from the Regberegbes in place of the monarch. Traditionally, it is the Awujale — or in his absence, appointed representatives such as the Olori, senior Obas, and titled Otunbas — who receive these age-grade processions.

However, the governor seized the stage and camera flashes, turning the cultural celebration into a full-blown photo-op and campaign-like spectacle.

Observers noted that Olori Kemi Adetona, the Queen, was present and available to receive the homage on behalf of her ailing husband. Yet, she and other traditional dignitaries were relegated to the background, while Abiodun soaked in cheers engineered by his political loyalists and a few rented crowds.

“It was disgraceful,” said a visibly angry elder from Ijebu Ode who wished to remain anonymous. “Our Kabiyesi is ill. Instead of mourning his absence with dignity and respect, Dapo Abiodun turned Ojude Oba into his personal festival. He turned our sacred event into a one-man show, with banners of his face everywhere, like he was the king of Ijebuland.”

According to multiple eyewitnesses, many of the Regberegbes were coerced or pressured into aligning their parades with the governor’s camp, a move widely condemned by community elders and culture custodians as a gross desecration of Ijebu customs. Unlike previous years where the air was thick with cultural pride, this year’s edition left a sour taste — one of political vanity rather than ancestral reverence.

While Abiodun basked in limelight, more thoughtful and traditional Ijebu sons and daughters, including Otunbas and respected community figures, made only brief appearances. They offered quiet prayers for the quick recovery of the frontline monarch and exited the event without fanfare — in stark contrast to the governor’s elaborate staging.

“This was not Ojude Oba,” said another Ijebu high chief in dismay. “This was Ojude Dapo — an insult, a distortion, a travesty.”

The backlash was swift and fierce, especially on social media where Ijebu indigenes called out the governor for overstepping his bounds, with many describing his actions as a ‘cultural coup’ and ‘sacrilege.’ One trending post read: “Dapo Abiodun wants to be Awujale by force — shame on him for hijacking our heritage!”

Another comment from a popular Ijebu youth forum stated: “We will not forget how you disrespected our king and turned our sacred ground into your campaign trail.”

As the dust settles on this year’s controversial edition of Ojude Oba, one burning question remains: How far will politicians go to rewrite tradition in their own image? In Prince Dapo Abiodun’s case, it seems no throne is sacred and no culture too revered to be bent for personal glorification.

For now, Ijebuland is not happy, not just because of the absence of its monarch — but the erosion of dignity at one of its most cherished cultural events.