THE TOLL-KEEPER OF HORMUZ: HOW AMERICA JUST BURIED ITS OWN DOCTRINE

The most important response to Trump’s Hormuz announcement did not come from Beijing, Brussels or the United Nations. It came from Tehran, and it was four words long. “POTUS is absolutely right.”




That was Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, replying to the President’s declaration that the United States will henceforth be “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT” and will be “reimbursed” at the rate of 20% on all cargo transiting the waterway. Araghchi agreed that whoever secures the Strait deserves compensation — adding only that Iran has always been its true guardian, and that 20% was too much. Iran, he said, “will be fair.”

Understand what just happened. The two states now fighting for control of the world’s most important oil artery are no longer arguing about whether ships must pay tribute to pass. They are haggling over the rate.




For seventy-five years, the entire edifice of the “freedom of the seas” rested on the opposite principle. Yesterday, its chief architect demolished it in a single post.




I. WHAT THE LAW ACTUALLY SAYS




I practised shipping law for over three decades, and I want readers to grasp how radical this announcement is in legal terms.




The regime governing straits like Hormuz is called transit passage, codified in Part III of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Its roots go back further, to the International Court of Justice’s very first case — Corfu Channel (1949) — where the Court held that warships and merchant vessels alike enjoy a right of passage through international straits that coastal states may not obstruct in peacetime.




Two pillars hold up this regime:




First, transit passage cannot be suspended. Not by the coastal state, not by anyone. Article 44 of UNCLOS is explicit.




Second — and this is the provision every reader should remember — passage cannot be taxed. Article 26 permits charges upon foreign ships only for specific services rendered to that ship, such as pilotage or towage. A general levy for the privilege of passing is flatly prohibited. Even for coastal states.




Now consider the American position. The United States has no coastline on the Strait of Hormuz. It is not even a party to UNCLOS — for four decades Washington has insisted that transit passage binds Iran as customary international law, enforced by the US Navy on behalf of all nations.




Oman and Iran, the actual littoral states, could not lawfully charge a single dollar for mere passage. The United States now proposes to charge twenty percent of cargo value — from ten thousand kilometres away — as a matter of what the President calls “FAIRNESS.”




That is not the enforcement of the international waterway doctrine. It is its replacement by tribute.




II. THE TRAP TEHRAN SPRANG




Here is where Araghchi’s four words become lethal.




Customary international law — the only legal basis America has ever had in Hormuz, since it never ratified UNCLOS — is formed by two elements: the consistent practice of states, and the belief that such practice is legally required (opinio juris).




When Iran instituted its permit-and-fee regime for the Strait earlier this year, Washington’s legal position was simple: no state may condition or charge for transit passage. Iran’s regime was unlawful per se.




That position is now dead. Killed not by Iranian missiles, but by an American post. If the “guardian” of the Strait may lawfully charge 20% for security services, then a fortiori the coastal state — with genuine sovereignty over the waters in question — may charge for the same service. Araghchi grasped this instantly. His reply conceded nothing and captured everything: you have adopted our legal theory; we now dispute only the price.




The United States has spent decades building the customary law of the sea through its own state practice. It is now dismantling that law by the same mechanism. Every future tribunal, every future crisis, every future power that wishes to tax a chokepoint — the Bosphorus, Malacca, Bab-el-Mandeb, the Panama approaches — will cite July 2026 as the moment the precedent was set by Washington itself.




III. A BLOCKADE WITHOUT A WAR: THE UNDERWRITER’S NIGHTMARE




There is a second legal absurdity buried in the announcement that only those of us from the maritime world will fully appreciate.




The President declared the reinstatement of “THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE” — stopping not only Iran’s ships but Iran’s customers. Blockade, in the law of naval warfare, is a belligerent right. It exists only in a state of armed conflict, it must be formally declared and notified, and it must be effective and impartial. The San Remo Manual sets out these requirements precisely.




Yet Washington simultaneously insists it is not at war with Iran.




Consider the position of a shipowner, a P&I club, or a war risk underwriter this morning. A “blockade” that is not a blockade, imposed by a state that is not a belligerent, targeting “customers” of Iran — an undefined class that could sweep in any tanker that has ever lifted Iranian crude. Meanwhile, Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority has declared passage “currently unfeasible” and maintains that its own permit system is the sole lawful route through the Strait.




Two sovereigns. Two permitting regimes. One body of water. Every vessel in the Gulf now sails under competing assertions of authority, each of which the other deems an act of war. War risk premiums do not price legal theory — they price uncertainty. And there has never been uncertainty like this.




IV. THE GUARDIAN AND THE PROTECTION RACKET




Readers of this page know my argument: the “rules-based international order” has not been destroyed by its challengers. It is being liquidated by its author — sold off, asset by asset, for cash.




The freedom of the seas was the crown jewel of that order. It was the one rule America enforced with genuine consistency, because it was the rule from which American power flowed. The Royal Navy built the doctrine in the nineteenth century; the US Navy inherited it in the twentieth. Its moral force rested on a single proposition: the guardian takes nothing for itself. The seas were policed disinterestedly, and that disinterest was the legitimacy.




“Guardian” is an old word. In the waters I have worked in for thirty years, everyone understands what it means when an armed party offers you “safety and security” in exchange for a percentage of your cargo. It is the oldest business model on the sea. We did not used to call its practitioners guardians.




The Strait of Hormuz will remain open or it will close; the ceasefire will be rebuilt or it will collapse. But the doctrine — the idea that the world’s waterways belong to the community of nations and may not be farmed for revenue — died this week. Not because Iran closed the Strait.




Because America opened a toll booth.




The rules were never the order. Power was the order. The rules were its receipts.




— LIM TEAN

.

NIGERIA: MAXIMUM PAINS FOR GREATER NUMBERS OF PEOPLE — SIR DELE ABIOLA

"Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do. On one hand the standard of right and wrong, on the other hand the chain of causes and effects, are fastened to their throne" — Jeremy Bentham.

The ultimate reason behind the postulation for the creation of a sovereign modern State and government as the agency of state is the  ultimate satisfactions and the realizations of human personality. This , Kant had treated in his famous dictum, that morality consist in treating persons as ends  and not as means. And for this same too, Jefferson courageously affirmed when he said the government exist to protect and realize the inalienable rights of man.

Among the inalienable and natural rights; right to life, self defense among others.

For the society to escape the Hobbesian state of Nature and the survival of the fittest, where lives was described as nasty, brutish, poor, solitary and short. The existence of state and it's agencies enable individuals to submit parts of these inalienable rights to state for equitable redistribution of justice with fairness and equity.

The above defined the primary responsibilities of the State as primarily protection of lives and properties, and provisions of essential services which are beyond the capacity of the individuals. The resources which would have hitherto based on the survival of the fittest placed in the domains of the State and it's agencies.

In the pre slavery Africa and pre colonial era, communalism thrived among the people, communities and cleans. The survival of the fittest had no place contrary to today's African States especially Nigeria in particular which had long ago returned to primitive acquisition era by the privileged few/minority who are for the sake of their greediness, become the agents of enemies without as they themselves emerged the enemies within against anything that Will lead to the common good, happiness and pleasure of the majority in the land.

The comparisons and acceptability of governments, regime by regime have absolutely been based on the two sovereign masters as postulated by Bentham, pains and pleasures as occasioned by the wellbeing of the majority starting with the protection of the inalienable rights of man — protection of lives and properties, and provisions of essential services to the citizenry.  While Jeremy Bentham called for maximum pleasures for greater numbers of people, it has been maximum pains for greater numbers of people in Nigeria by any standard of measurement in this global Capital of world's poverty.

In the cases where a State failed in these primary responsibilities, it is also natural for the man to reclaimed his inalienable rights to ensure his survival, in this regard, the society may eventually resumes/return to the Hobbesian state before any regrouping to ensure orderliness. This maybe inevitable when all necessary provisions and institutional redresses have failed. Nigeria under this current civilian regime is toying such a line.

Insecurity in Nigeria today is in all fronts starting with insecurity of lives and properties of the Nigerian citizens ranging to the socioeconomic perils where citizens are most concerned again. The sociopolitical sphere of our national life that should afford the people the opportunity as occasioned by maximum pains, in what to do, especially for leadership redress and change via ballots have been compromised already. The just concluded Ekiti governorship election clearly portrayed what to come by in the 2027 general elections with already dilapidated and fractioned opposition political parties, courtesy of the incumbent's agenda to perpetuate itself even in the face of abysmal failures.

The compromised electoral umpire in the country (Independent National Electoral Commission - INEC) allegedly gave to the pro Terrorists APC led government, over 400,000 uncollected voter cards that undermine the outcome of the said election in favour of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.

As the abysmal failures of the Tinubu led APC government is more glaring to the whole wide world with numerous victims of insecurity across the length and breadth of our country innumerable, and many living in perpetual fear, redeeming our present unsavoury image in the international community as a crime conquered nation, giving hope to the citizens that they are saved seemed an uneasy tasks as sociopolitical system is firmly captured already by a group using insecurity as a weapon for both wealth and power capturing.

This insecurity, it has become impossible for the watching world and Nigerians in particular not to believe that the government of the day at all tiers and the security hierarchies at their command have allowed insecurity to deteriorate to this level of daily peril and bring our country totally to her knees because some unpatriotic elements in position of policy, decisions and actions benefit from the protracted reign of terrors and insecurity in our country.

It is an unarguable truth that today, virtually no inch of Nigeria soil, from the far north to the south, is safe for her citizens. This is a direct by-product of leadership failure in the government's foremost constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and properties.

Nothing is wrong with the Nigerian State except leadership failures as a result of compromises, and ineffectiveness as a result of incompetency. The country can no longer be managed by those who claimed that they loved the country, have the fear of God but lack capacity to deliver, who have lost touch of the reality of the modern governance.

Sir Dele Abiola 

Has Nigerian State ever been without damming security challenges? No. From slavery and pre colonial days, and after the Independence to Civil war and even till date, the geographical entity called Nigeria has always been a land of intermittent pogroms. Only that the state and government apparatus especially post civil war have been living up to the expectations of the people compared to the situation since the APC leadership emergency since 2015. Terrorism in today's Nigeria, without much argument can be adjudged as the state owned and sponsored institution and indeed a very lucrative institution for that matter but at the expenses of the happiness of the common man and the interests of the majority of the citizenry served as the alternative for gone for the satisfaction of the greediness of the minority who firmly captured the country. 

Nigeria of today is caught in a deplorable quagmire where, gradually to this time, our farmers can no longer access their farms and many villages have been deserted as a result of bandits' attacks and plunder, and mass abduction for ransom, leading to food shortages in our dear land. Sadly, this has further deteriorated to an all-time nightmare where innocent and tender school children and their teachers have joined the menu of terrorist abductions and massacre. The recent been in Oriire Local government of Oyo state, is a condemnable trend in the strongest term.

Today, the country's leadership have failed us in all major primary purposes and reasons for the existence of Governance in the first instance. The protection of lives and properties which comes first as the primary responsibility of government have been betrayed. 

Secondly in the socioeconomic arena, the provisions of essential services by the government have ever been at zero level while the unsecured and unprotected citizens have been subjected to heavy and maximum taxations. For NIGERIANS Since the emergence of APC leadership in 2015 till date, it has been maximum pains for greater numbers of people.

Contrary to the country's leadership claims, terrorists are not prodigal sons , nor are they our brothers and as such no  genuine and patriotic individuals will approve negotiations with the criminals threatening our existence , let alone training and their reabsorption into any State institution, except those profiting from the discomfort of the majority. THE WHOLE SALES TERRORISM, KIDNAPPING AND BANDITRY ALL OVER THE COUNTRY CAN NOT STAND.

Keeping quiet by Nigerians can no longer help anyone, Nigerians must ensure the country's leadership is accountable and ensure the school children and others in the captivity of the bandit terrorists are brought back home safely by any means possible by both the federal and state governments' collaboration. 

If the leadership compromised and the desires to profit from our collective pains are removed, Nigeria State have the capacity to make the country a safer place for all and sundry.

IMMEDIATE AND LONG TERM SOLUTION TO AVOID EVENTUAL RETURN TO STATE OF NATURE

1. Immediate securing of our schools (public and private) with deployment of existing security operatives or creation of a special paramilitary cadets for this purpose. Closures of schools can never be a good ideal.

2. Empowerment of 50 percent of Nigerian Youths in agriculture and agro-allied businesses will compelled the drastic reduction of banditry.

3. Practical teaching and learning system in all of our educational institutions to produce self-dependent , self-reliant and productive individuals who will not be jobless or writing applications after graduation.

4. Firmly and effectively securing our boarders.

5. Publishing names and prosecuting financials of terrorism in Nigeria as well as the prosecution of terrorists by death penalty.

6. Compensation for the victims of terrorism and their immediate families.

7. Satellite and drones deployment will minimize the collateral damages on the parts of our security personnel.

8. Alternatively, Citizens should be fully armed for self defense.

WITH PAIN ON THE THRONE DITCHING OUT MAXIMUM TORTURES FROM NORTH TO SOUTH, EAST TO WEST, NIGERIANS NEED TO DEVELOP A BLUEPRINT AND ROADMAP FOR POSITIVE CHANGE THAT WILL LEAD THE COUNTRY TO THE DESIRED POLITICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC STABILITY THAT THE CITIZENS DESPERATELY DESIRED. 

A GENERATIONAL CHANGE IN THE COUNTRY'S LEADERSHIP IS A PANACEA.

Sir Dele Abiola 

oluabiola81@gmail.com

The Rapture, the Capture and the Rupture of Today's Labour Party

Apagun 

On the beautiful morning of January 19th 2026, every member of the Labour Party was expecting a judgement that will make or mar the political party that has been entrenched in a long legal battle of ownership, but was greatly disappointed that the judgement had been adjourned. The atmosphere was tensed as everyone can sense prevailing danger, sniffing a tilt from the cliff of the mountain, whosoever side that received the shocks will definitely lose the locks to the national Secretariat. It was adjourned to 21st of January, as some believed it was not too bad but to some like me, I was jittery.

Then came the moment, I couldn't muster the courage to monitor it live, but moments after the historical judgement, news filtered out, it was a moment of intense pleasure, joy, or overwhelming ecstasy. A moment the supporters of the Nnenadi Usman's faction was raptured!

*The Rapture: When mandate vanishes into thin air*  

While we were enraptured and jubilant, some disappointed and dissatisfied political apologists quickly reconvened together watching closely as the events unfolded, switching allegiance and repositioning themselves at the highest level, mediating and negotiating positions down to the grassroots at the expense of those who sought, aligned, fought and were greatly persecuted for standing up for this today's leadership of Labour Party yesterday. I can vividly remember November 17th 2024, when we broke out of the Abure faction to declare our support for the Caretaker Committee and inaugurate the Interim Executive Committee (IEC) of the Ogun State Labour Party, under heavy security at the expense of our blood, televised and broadcasted through Arise TV, Channels TV, published by Tribune, Punch, Vanguard and several bloggers.

Hence, our invitation to the Labour House during a retreat organized by the NTC, the Labour Movement and the Caretaker Committee when the horizon was opaque and the hope was slim. We gave Obiora Ifoh, some hard nuts to crack as he was forced to be making several counter press conferences and releases against us in order to quel the political inferno that would have consumed Abure if not checkmated, while Com. Tokunbo Peters, my dear brother, the erstwhile Publicity Secretary in Ogun State was given a sleepless nights as he engaged us day after day while we continued to wax stronger. We became a nightmare to Mr.Kehinde Sogunle and Com.Lookman Abiodun Jagun who was the State Chairman.

Now, think of the state Congress as an altar after surviving threats, persecution, unlawful arrests, defamation of characters, contempts as the Patriots are being sidelines while the traitors were being rewarded as we were being misrepresented, misconceived by reason of the calculated propaganda. During the Congresses, Delegates voted, winners are called, hands are raised. That moment should be a rapture: a lifting of the people's choice into public record. Instead, the national leadership performed a surgical mutilation. Results were edited mid-air. Names of actual winners were replaced by those who did not even participate before the communique cooled. While the report by the INEC clearly shows Apagun Olaolu Samuel emerged winner as the Chairman and published by the INEC through their notice board, the falsified memo to the INEC by the national leadership of the party states otherwise, causing confusion and frictions within the state structures.

It’s like a referee blowing the final whistle, the stadium erupts, then someone in the VIP box rewinds the tape and declares a different team scored. The crowd still heard the cheer, but the scoreboard was rewritten. That’s not correction. That’s erasure. If internal democratic processes are not allowed to thrive and prevail in democratic institutions, definitely like Fela said, "Democracy can then be best defined as demonstration of crazy people".

*The Capture: Institutional hijack in slow motion* 

 

Undemocratic handling of Congress disputes is not chaos. It’s capture. When the party’s national organs treat every case emanating from the state as a threat to be managed, not a voice to be heard, in an institutional party that believes in Equal Opportunities and Social Justice, the institution stops being a platform and becomes a vault. Only those with the combination get to decide who walks in.  

 A bank built with depositors’ money, but only the manager’s cousins can make withdrawals. The structure stands, the sign remains, but the purpose has been kidnapped. The Labour Party was built as an alternative to godfather politics, and as it appears to be now, it's been captured, though not been kept under lock and keys but soonest might be turned into what it once fought.

The Rupture: What breaks when trust is replaced

Mutilating Congress results and swapping winners does three things at once:  

1. Ruptures legitimacy: If members can’t trust the process, they can’t defend the product.  

2. Ruptures morale: Volunteers who campaigned, mobilized, and voted learn that fidelity has no reward.  

3. Ruptures identity: A party called “Labour” loses its moral wage. Workers respect rules. When rules are bent, the name becomes irony.  

Just like a rope bridge. Each Congress is a plank. Replace the plank with paper board, and the bridge still looks crossable from a distance. The rupture happens only when weight is applied. Elections are weight. Democracy inside a party is not decoration. It’s diagnostics. When internal elections are mutilated, the party loses the ability to detect its own weakness. You can’t strategize if you don’t know who actually won. You can’t mobilize if members believe the game is fixed. And you can’t claim to fight external impunity while practicing internal impunity.

The Labour Party’s current crisis isn’t just about names on a list. It’s about whether the party will be a movement or a monument. Movements correct themselves. Monuments are corrected by history.

Rapture lifts. Capture holds. Rupture breaks. Today’s Labour Party is suspended between all three. What happens next depends on whether leadership restores the mandate or keeps rewriting it.

©Apagun Olaolu Samuel

Chairman, 

Ogun State Labour Party

The GRAVITY, the CAVITY, and the CAPTIVITY OF THE NIGERIAN POLITICAL SPACE

As the Nigerian political space is being unnecessarily and increasingly overheated, political timetable compressed by INEC, electoral guidelines being changed abruptly amidst the game, and fulfillment of all electoral activities being swiftly runned by political parties in the wrong directions as petitions, rejoinders, counter petitions and court papers are flying here and there bore testimony to lack of adequate preparation and information dissemination from the electoral body and political parties. Several factions are shooting out dailies from political parties as the incumbent are not left out as they tarried long enough in some states awaiting the ruling party in such a state to cave in to the official party of the incumbent government.

Nigerian politics no longer lives only in Abuja conference rooms. It lives on X, in Nollywood skits, in Afrobeats lyrics, in WhatsApp broadcast lists. It pulls like a magnet, echoes like an empty hall, and traps like a cage. Gravity, cavity, captivity. Three forces shaping every election, protest, and debate. From 2023 till now, Nigerian politics moved from handshake deals at the grassroots and communities to hashtag wars, the space became a stadium, gravity pulls everyone in through social media, cavity left us shouting in the void, captivity kept the doors locked and the last four years has proven that.

*The Gravity: Why does everyone get pulled in*  

Gravity is mass and pull/attention, Nigerian politics has both now in record amount, though it is likely to decline as some of first timers weakling politicians and social media influencers are no longer operating at the level they did in 2023, political godfather's and electoral management officers taught them lessons they will not forget so soon.

1. Culture and Ethnicity is the campaign*: Prevalent ethnicity turn by turn and the new cultural trend of Influencers forming public opinion is generating more of the gravitational force than reasonable blueprint of redemption for Nigeria. From Fela’s yabis to Burna’s "Monsters You Made", music does what manifestos can’t. A single tweet from Wizkid or Davido shifts more votes than a party rally in some states. "Soro Soke" from 2020 EndSARS became the campaign language in 2023. Peter Obi’s movement was powered less by party structure and more by Afrobeats fans, skit makers, Twitter spaces. Davido, Falz, Aisha Yesufu became de facto campaign managers. For the first time, a candidate’s Spotify playlist mattered as much as his party manifesto.  

2. Youth are the mass: 70% of Nigerians are under 35.. That’s not just a demographic. It’s a gravitational field. "Obidients", "Soro Soke", "No gree for anybody" Apagunmanians, in the Ogun State Labour Party fast spreading across the southwest— these weren’t party slogans. They were cultural movements that dragged politics into everyday talk. They were not bought, or sought, they were pulled by the force of gravity, they organically sprouted as a movement beyond party boundaries to fill in the political cavity..

INEC said over 37m voters collected PVCs before 2023, and most were 18-34. That’s gravity. TikTok explainers on BVAS got more views than NTA debates. In 2027, that mass is older, more cynical, and already organizing on WhatsApp communities and X Spaces before parties even pick candidates.  

3. Outrage is the orbit: Bad news travels faster than policy. One viral video of police brutality or failed infrastructure pulls more attention than a 50-page budget. Once you’re in orbit, silence feels like betrayal. My daughter engaged me on social media visibility and wishes someone will drag her, particularly someone whose followers runs to millions, which will advertently rubbed on her media visibility, but having a media visibility without a matching ground structure sometimes make a political party fizzle out in the shortest period of time. Imagine the "Ikeja City Mall protest", "Obidients" Twitter trends, even APC's "Emilokan clips" ---these pulled more national conversation than traditional rallies. If it didn't trend, it didn't exist. Contents creators and campaign strategists are already being engaged rather than the ward coordinators for 2027 elections .

The Cavity: The empty space inside the noise*  

Cavity is the hollow part between sound and substance, the 2023's noise and the 2027's risk.

2023 has already exposed the influence of the social media in shaping public opinion, but that of 2027 will surely deepen it. For all the noise, the center is often empty.  

1. Sound over substance: We debate vibes, not data. "He’s young" vs "He’s experienced" replaces "Here’s his plan for power". Hashtags trend for 48 hours, then vanish. We spent months arguing BVAS, IReV, "upload issues". Huge noise, but little post-election deep-dive on electoral reform from citizens. The trend died after the Supreme Court judgment. Sound came, substance left.  

2. Performance over policy: Politicians now campaign like influencers. Photo ops with less town halls meeting and engagement with electorates at the grassroots. Dance videos greater debt profiles. The stage is full, but the script is thin. Slogans beat policies: "Renewed Hope", "Take Back Nigeria", "Emilokan". Catchy, yes. But ask 10 voters to explain the actual policy difference on power or FX and the room goes quiet. 2027 is already shaping up with early slogans before white papers.  

3. Amnesia over accountability: Each scandal resets the conversation. We remember the outrage, forget the follow-up. The space echoes, but nothing solid stays inside.Lekki tollgate, cash scarcity protests, subsidy removal pain. Each dominated feeds for days, then vanished when the next viral video dropped. No sustained pressure, no scorecards. The hall echoes, but nothing sticks to the walls

 

The Captivity: How the game keeps us locked?

Captivity is the cage both leaders and citizens built.  

1. Party structures: Godfather politics, delegate buying, zoning formulas. New voices enter, but the rules don’t change, hopes are raised when new leaders are being ushered in, but before you blink your eyes twice, you realize that a well known devil is better than an imaginary angel. You can shout, but you still play by their playbook. Even shouting is an offense, and if you fail to shout, how will you be heard?. In order for them to secure their offices, they replaced a lawful and legally backed state Congresses up to twenty one state in the case of my political party with a stroke of pen in a lofty office in Abuja against the will of the people who lined up under a scorching sun to vote whom the knew, want and believed in 

2. Clout incentives: For citizens, speaking up brings likes but also risk. Cancel culture, EFCC threats, "they will come for you". So we perform activism instead of organizing it.  

3. Fear as bars: Fear of the past. Fear of "the other tribe". Fear of wasting your vote. That fear keeps voters choosing "lesser evil" instead of "better idea". Everyone knows the cage exists. Few test the lock.

Can we break the pattern?

Gravity won’t disappear. Culture will always pull people into politics, and that’s good. But a space can’t survive on gravity alone. The cavity needs filling: with policy literacy, with local organizing, with attention spans longer than a trend. The captivity needs testing: by new candidates, by issue-based voting, by citizens who move from tweets to wards.

Nigerian politics is loud, magnetic, and stuck. The question isn’t whether we feel the pull. It’s whether we’ll fill the hollow, and find the key. 2023 gave us the loudest political pop space Nigeria has ever seen, 2027 will decide if we use that noise to build something solid, or just turn the volume up again. 

*Apagun Olaolu Samuel*

Chairman 

Labour Party, Ogun State

2027: DR. PETER AGADA EMERGES AS VIBRANT FRONTRUNNER FOR LABOUR PARTY PRESIDENTIAL TICKET

ABUJA, 

In Nigeria as the 2027 general elections approach, the Labour Party (LP) political landscape is witnessing a significant shift. 

Dr. Peter Agada

Dr. Peter Agada, a renowned architect and seasoned administrator, has officially declared his intention to contest for the presidency, positioning himself as a highly viable and acceptable alternative.

A Legacy of Architectural and Infrastructural Excellence

With over 29 years of experience in the architectural field, Dr. Agada is widely recognized for his expertise in infrastructure and acoustic architecture.

 As the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cyrus Group Nigeria, he has built one of the world’s leading acoustic organizations, achieving global success by the age of 54.

His professional pedigree is further solidified by his recent role in the "Big Tent" shadow government, where he served as the Minister of Infrastructure, Energy, Works, Housing, and Urban Development.

 In this capacity, he formulated policies aimed at modernizing Nigeria's crumbling infrastructure and solving the nation's energy deficit.

The "Labour Direct" Solution Template

Central to Agada’s campaign is labourdirect.com, a comprehensive digital and policy solution template designed to address every sector of the Nigerian economy. 

The platform offers a structured approach to:

• National Security: Utilizing a blend of community-based intelligence and advanced technology.

• Economic Stability: Tackling currency volatility and youth unemployment through targeted sectors like agriculture and solid minerals.

• Infrastructure: Leveraging his decades of experience to build sustainable urban environments.

From the Obidient Movement to the National Stage

Dr. Agada is no stranger to the inner workings of the Labour Party’s grassroots resurgence. He served as the immediate past Director of Finance of the Obidient Movement, where he managed the financial machinery that powered the party's 2023 performance. However, citing a need for greater organizational discipline and a shift toward principled governance, he recently resigned to focus on building The Movement Nigeria, a platform committed to citizen-driven development.

Rooted in Faith, Family, and Community

Beyond his professional and political accolades, Dr. Agada is deeply committed to social welfare. A father of eight children including three who are adopted, he is described as a man rooted in God and family values. His philanthropic efforts through various charity endowments have touched all 36 states and the FCT, with a particular focus on his native Benue State, providing relief and empowerment to the vulnerable.

As the Labour Party enters a period of realignment, Dr. Peter Agada’s unique blend of technical expertise, financial transparency, and humanitarian commitment makes him a compelling choice for Nigerians seeking a vibrant and structured path to national renewal.

DR. AGADA AT A GLANCE: A MAN DESTINED AND EQUIPPED TO LEAD NIGERIA OUT OF ITS PRESENT ECONOMIC QUAGMIRE

At 54 years of age, Dr. Peter Agada stands as a rare fusion of technical brilliance, corporate success, and political foresight. He is not just a candidate; he is a solution-driven leader prepared to navigate Nigeria through its most turbulent economic era.

The Architect of National Renewal with over 29 years of cognate experience as an architect specializing in infrastructure and acoustic architecture, Dr. Agada understands the "bones" of a nation. As the Chairman and CEO of Cyrus Group, he has built one of the world’s largest acoustic organizations, proving that Nigerian leadership can dominate global markets. His expertise earned him an Honorary Doctorate in Acoustic Architecture from Gulf American University in 2025.

A Legacy of Policy Leadership: The Congress of Professionals

Since 2006, Dr. Agada has served as the President of the Congress of Professionals, a powerhouse of global and local experts focused on high-level policy design and advocacy. Under his leadership, the Congress has engaged successive governments on critical Infrastructure Master Plans, offering strategic blueprints for:

i. Highways & Transportation: Modernizing road net

IMPERIAL IMPRINTS OF OYO: THE DIFFUSION OF ALAAFIN POLITICAL CULTURE, TITLES, REGALIA, AND SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS ACROSS YORUBALAND

  (Revised Scholarly Edition)

By Engr. O.A. Adekunle (Licensed Civil Engineer and Chartered Project Manager)

Writer and Publisher

ABSTRACT

The imperial system of the Oyo Empire constituted one of the most sophisticated political civilizations in pre-colonial West Africa. Beyond territorial expansion, its most enduring legacy lies in the cultural, institutional, and symbolic frameworks adopted across Yorubaland. This revised edition incorporates historiographical scholarship, demonstrating how earlier historians and anthropologists documented Oyo’s decisive role in shaping titles, governance systems, palace traditions, dress codes, and identity symbols among Yoruba polities.

1. INTRODUCTION

Among the Yoruba, political legitimacy historically derived from antiquity, sacred kingship, and institutional continuity. The Alaafin’s court represented the pinnacle of these principles. As towns gained autonomy or emerged from war camps, frontier settlements, or migration clusters, they frequently adopted Oyo-derived titles, court rituals, architectural forms, and administrative structures to legitimize rule and situate themselves within a recognized civilizational order.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW: EARLIER SCHOLARLY CONTRIBUTIONS

Historical understanding of Oyo’s influence has been shaped by pioneering scholars whose works remain foundational.

Samuel Johnson in The History of the Yorubas (1897) provided the earliest systematic narrative describing Oyo as the political nucleus from which many Yoruba institutions radiated. He documented the diffusion of titles, court etiquette, and dynastic traditions.

Robin Law emphasized Oyo’s military-administrative sophistication, particularly its cavalry system and provincial governance, demonstrating how its imperial model influenced successor states.

Toyin Falola analyzed Oyo as a cultural hegemon whose prestige encouraged imitation even beyond direct political control.

Anthropological studies by later researchers similarly highlight how symbolic institutions—dress, palace language, ritual hierarchy—spread through prestige emulation rather than conquest.

Collectively, these scholars agree that Oyo’s influence functioned less as domination and more as a civilizational template that other Yoruba polities consciously replicated.

3. DIFFUSION OF ARISTOCRATIC TITLES

Oyo’s chieftaincy system became the political vocabulary of Yorubaland. Titles such as Basorun, Balogun, Otun, Osi, Asipa, Agbaakin, and others were reproduced in emerging towns. The adoption of these titles signified constitutional inheritance rather than imitation alone. For example, military leaders in Ibadan adopted Oyo titles to affirm continuity with imperial political culture.

Titles functioned as institutional capsules carrying administrative authority, military hierarchy, and ritual legitimacy.

4. ADOPTION OF PALACE TERMINOLOGY AND INSTITUTION (ÀÀFIN)

Perhaps the most visible evidence of Oyo’s cultural standardization is the widespread adoption of the term Ààfin for royal palaces throughout Yorubaland. The palace was not merely a residence but a constitutional space embodying kingship, ritual, judiciary authority, and cosmology.

Examples of this diffusion include:

Ààfin Olubadan

Ààfin Ogbomoso

Ààfin Olofa

Ààfin Timi

Ààfin Ataoja Osogbo

Ààfin Oluwoni

Ààfin Akure

Ààfin Akire

Ààfin Alake Egba

Ààfin Aseyin

and numerous others

The adoption of identical palace terminology indicates institutional borrowing. By calling their palace Ààfin, rulers symbolically aligned themselves with Oyo’s sacred kingship tradition, thereby legitimizing authority through association with an established imperial archetype.

Architecturally, these palaces reproduced Oyo design principles:

multi-courtyard layouts

sacred ancestral shrines

throne halls for public audience

segregated administrative compounds

Thus, architecture became a political language.

5. ADMINISTRATIVE BLUEPRINT REPLICATED ACROSS YORUBALAND

Oyo’s governance model balanced monarchy with institutional checks. Successor states replicated this constitutional logic:

Element Oyo Prototype Adopted Variant

Sacred monarch Alaafin Oba-system equivalents

Council of chiefs Oyo Mesi Local ruling councils

Military aristocracy Eso corps War chiefs

Provincial governance Ajele District authorities

This structure demonstrates that Oyo’s influence persisted even after imperial decline because its system was structurally adaptable.

6. CULTURAL STANDARDIZATION THROUGH DRESS AND REGALIA

Court fashion conveyed hierarchy and civilization. Distinctive Oyo elite attire spread widely:

Abetiaja cloth associated with aristocratic masculinity

Esiki ceremonial fabrics symbolizing nobility

embroidered agbada and layered wrappers

beaded crowns and royal insignia

Through trade, diplomacy, and migration, these fashions became trans-regional symbols of legitimacy.

7. FACIAL MARKS AND IDENTITY SYSTEMS

Dynastic facial marks such as Abaja méfà méfà ti Oba (six-line royal marks) signified aristocratic lineage linked to Oyo. Other Yoruba groups developed variations inspired by these patterns. Facial marks thus served as visual declarations of political identity and cultural affiliation.

8. MECHANISMS OF CULTURAL TRANSMISSION

Oyo’s traditions spread through several historical processes:

1. Military outposts evolving into towns

2. Migration following wars and imperial collapse

3. Trade caravans disseminating fashion and titles

4. Diplomatic alliances and marriage networks

5. Prestige imitation by neighboring rulers

These mechanisms ensured that Oyo’s cultural grammar became a shared Yoruba political language.

9. ADDITIONAL INSTITUTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS ATTRIBUTED TO OYO

Beyond titles and palaces, Oyo’s civilizational imprint included:

codified court etiquette and prostration hierarchy

drum language systems for royal communication

royal praise poetry traditions

standardized war command structures

ceremonial insignia for chiefs

diplomatic gift-exchange rituals

symbolic seating arrangements in councils

structured coronation rites

These elements formed a transferable statecraft package replicated across Yoruba towns.

10. CONCLUSION

The historical significance of Oyo lies not only in conquest but in standardization. By exporting political titles, palace institutions, regalia systems, dress codes, identity marks, and governance frameworks, the Alaafin’s court created a shared political civilization across Yorubaland. Successor states consciously adopted these forms to legitimize authority and situate themselves within an established tradition of kingship.

In effect, Oyo functioned as the constitutional and cultural academy of Yoruba political life. Even after imperial decline, its institutional DNA persisted in the palaces, titles, dress, and governance structures of later kingdoms. Oyo did not merely influence Yorubaland—it defined the grammar through which Yoruba sovereignty itself came to be expressed.

CITATION 

Engr. Adewuyi, O.A (2026). imperial imprints of oyo: the diffusion of alaafin political culture, titles, regalia, and social institutions across yorubaland (revised scholarly edition)

Oyo Empire Discussion; Just Like How God Must Exist.

Alaafin Owoade I 

The story is told of a school teacher who was an atheist. Everyday in class he told his young students about how "God does not exist." 

But one day a student stood up and said," Excuse me,sir. I think there must be God, either in real form, or in people's conscience. The fact that you're always talking about Him shows He exists, otherwise you won't be talking this much about Him. People don't usually talk about what does not exist. Do they?"

It was a confounding moment for the teacher!

Over the last few weeks, people have written a lot to remind us about Alaafin led Oyo empire and it's influence in Yoruba land. Another group has also mocked a lot to remind us about the empire and it's influence in Yoruba land. Of the two, I think the latter deserves the trophy. Like a meticulous shoe shiner, they have put in tremendous effort, through their contradictory claims and accusations, to bring to light the far reaching influence of the historical Yoruba empire. They were always at it. One moment they would post about how the empire was only Oyo and Aawe. some minutes after, they would mock about how "their king died while fighting to take back Ilorin." In the morning, they would post about how the influence of the empire was only felt in Tede, by afternoon they would be mocking about how "Lisabi defeated their army to break their hold on Egba". etc 

The thing is, like it or hate it, it is the only prominent Yoruba empire recorded in history. You can haul anything at it to belittle it, but certainly not reputable books of history, where is firmly established. Even a journalist Dare can only resort to frolicsome narratives without references. Even a journalist Wale can only attack with pun and other artistic repertoire that warrant no references making his antics a mere entertainment by an artist that he is.

No one trying to disparage the empire has been able to successfully use reputable books of history as his missiles. This is because the influence and the glory of the empire are well entrenched in history as recorded by several creditable books.

But for sheer hatred or other sentimental reasons, certain people want to travel back in time like "The terminator" to alter the age long history of the Yorubas as it happened. Their heart burning against the central role and status of the Alaafin in Yoruba history has pitched them against all reputable historical books and records. Certified historians, both dead and alive are now either biased in their accounts or bribed to write their books. All historians that ever wrote on Yoruba history of early times, Nigerians, non Nigerian Africans, Europeans were all biased to them - Talbot, CR Neeving, Allan Burn, Samuel Johnson, Saburi Biobaku, Kemi Morgan, Ade Ajayi, Obaro Ikime of historical society of Nigeria, Ghanian Adu Boahen, etc and all authors of history books we use in secondary school back in those days all conspired to be biased in favor of Alaafin! And the Queen of England too was also biased in favor of Alaafin for recognizing him as the paramount King that the British met!

At a time these set of people even started blaming the film producers. They questioned why nearly all epic films about Yoruba race must have something to do with either Alaafin or Oyo. But the fact is that it is at the instance or in relation to the head or the headquarters that the most significant or memorable events of history always occur, both the sweet and the sour ones - power, power struggle, declaration of wars, ceasefire, rebellion,detente, coup, regicide, secession, cultural initiatives, etc. Oyo kingdom back then served as the watershed from where many tributaries of Yoruba people and their cultures flowed to different parts of the country and beyond. It was the rally point for the fast expanding Yoruba race. Oyo as the capital is sometimes used in the historical context for the mainstream Yoruba body, the same way Washington or Abuja is sometimes used for US or Nigeria today. Oyo was the Yoruba body under the leadership of the Alaafin whose capital or seat of power was always Oyo, regardless of location.

Since in wartime, the capital and the head of government are always the main target of the enemies, change of location may occur for reason of war or other strategic reason. That does not diminish the status of the leader as some are trying to imply.

Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo once reacted to such flimsy impression: " Capitals sometimes move or get moved. There used to be governments at all three levels in Lagos at one time. Local government was in the city hall, state government briefly on the Marina before going to Ikeja/Alausa and the federal government on Marina or Dodan barrack/Ribadu road. The seat of the federal government was later moved to Abuja, first Aguda house, then finally Aso Rock Villa, etc. Does that make the president of Nigeria a refugee among our native kinsmen farming around Aso Rock?"

Source; Oyo Empire Dairy 

DRIVING WITH REVERSE GEAR: The Nigerian Senate's Stance on Electronic Transfers of Election Results

Apagun 

In the ever-evolving landscape of Nigeria's electoral politics and management, the Senate’s recent position on the electronic transfer of election results encapsulates a significant dilemma. By proposing to make the electronic transmission of results optional, rather than a mandatory feature, the Senate risks undermining the progress toward a transparent and fraud-free electoral system that the country desperately needs and deserves as the most populous black nation of the earth.

A Pivotal Moment for Democracy

Nigeria, with its tumultuous electoral history marred by allegations of rigging, violence, and irregularities, for years has been striving for a more credible electoral process. The introduction of electronic voting and the real-time transmission of results was heralded as a progressive step towards achieving that goal. This technology has the potential to enhance transparency and accountability while significantly reducing opportunities for fraud. It was on this note that made some of our youths very active in the 2023 general elections until the bad news was broken; the presidential election could not be transmitted because of yet to be believed glitches in the transmission that failed to affect other elections conducted same day and same time. Many are still undoubtedly not able to comprehend the technicalities of the technical glitch nor dissipate the shockwaves that come along with the news.

However, the Senate’s decision to make electronic transfers optional flies in the face of public demand for a more robust system that we long for its compulsion and legalisation. It is akin to "driving with reverse gear" in a country yearning for forward momentum in its democratic processes. By not committing to mandatory electronic transmission, the Senate inadvertently perpetuates the very issues that have plagued Nigeria’s electoral framework.

The Risks of Optionality

Opting for an optional system on electronic transfers opens the door for inconsistencies and manipulation. Why would some states or electoral officials choose to transmit results electronically while others abstain? This inconsistency can lead to discrepancies in how votes are counted and reported across the nation. The potential for tampering, especially in areas where transparency is least guaranteed, remains a significant concern. 

Furthermore, allowing for an optional approach may sow distrust among voters. Citizens who have become increasingly aware of the importance of technology in ensuring electoral integrity might view the Senate's stance as a regression.  This could further diminish public confidence in the outcomes of elections, potentially leading to increased apathy or unrest. The paradox of the matter was that while this government is pushing for electronic tax collection system, electronic payment system, electronic passport, electronic identification system, the same government chooses to make optional that which is supposed to be preferencially electronically conducted and transmitted one time.

The Path Toward Technological Integration

Several countries around the world have successfully integrated electronic voting and result transmission into their electoral processes, enhancing the reliability and speed of election outcomes. For Nigeria to join this league and truly modernize its electoral system, it is essential to embrace these technological advancements fully. The last general elections conducted in India through electronic transmission was a wonder to behold, assessed and access despite her population.

Mandatory electronic voting and transmission could streamline processes, reduce human error, and facilitate quicker results, allowing for faster acceptance of electoral outcomes. In the face of the growing citizen demand for transparency and accountability, rejecting optimal technological solutions like mandatory electronic results transmission feels like driving while looking backward.

Public Sentiment and Political Will

The sentiment among the Nigerian populace is clear: there is a strong desire for a transparent electoral process. Civic organizations, activists, and ordinary citizens have rallied for stronger electoral reforms and a commitment to technology-driven solutions. The Senate's current stance appears disconnected from the pressing need to evolve Nigeria’s electoral practices.

For meaningful change to materialize, lawmakers must prioritize the sentiments of their constituents over political maneuvering. The focus should shift toward building a comprehensive electoral framework that not only accounts for the technological advancements available today but also addresses the systemic flaws that have historically compromised electoral integrity.

As Nigeria approaches future elections, the decision to keep the electronic transmission of results optional stands as a critical moment in the nation’s democratic journey. Driving with reverse gear may render the country vulnerable to the same pitfalls it has long sought to escape. It is imperative for the Senate and other stakeholders to take a definitive stand in favour of mandatory electronic voting and result transmission. By doing so, Nigeria can pave the way for a truly democratic system that reflects the will of its people, free from the shadows of fraud and manipulation. Only then can the nation drive forward, embracing a future where its elections are transparent, credible, and respected both locally and internationally.

Apagun Olaolu Samuel Babatunde

Chairman,

Labour Party, Ogun State

Balancing the Stool: Why Oyo State Must Rethink the Rotational Chairmanship of the Council of Obas

Alaafin Owoade I 

The emergence of His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Sefiu Olawale Oyebola Adeyeri III, Ajirotutu I, the Aseyin of Iseyinland, as Chairman of the Oke-Ogun Traditional Council is a welcome and historic development. It marks a quiet but important reawakening in Oke-Ogun one that signals readiness to participate fully in the traditional and political architecture of Oyo State. Yet, let us not confuse progress with completion, this is a step forward, not the finish line.

If the permanent chairmanship of the Oyo State Council of Obas could be disengaged from the Alaafin in the name of a new order and modern civilisation, then whatever replaced it must be anchored on balance, fairness, and clear equity among the state’s notable regions. Reform without fairness merely rearranges imbalance.

This is where fundamental questions arise. By what yardstick was the rotational arrangement designed such that Ogbomosho was accommodated ahead of Oke-Ogun? Was it population, historical depth, number of local governments, or political convenience? If local government spread is the benchmark, the facts are plain: Ibadan has eleven local governments, Oke-Ogun has ten, Ogbomosho has five, and Oyo town has four. On no rational scale does Oke-Ogun rank behind Ogbomosho in relevance or size.

Other states have resolved this dilemma with maturity. Ogun State’s rotational model among the Ijebu, Remo, Egba, and Yewa blocs demonstrates that equity strengthens unity rather than weakens tradition. Oyo State must borrow from this ideology if it is truly committed to transparency, fairness, and inclusion.

Any Oba who emerges as Chairman of the Oke-Ogun Traditional Council should, by logic and justice, be integrated into the rotational chairmanship of the Oyo State Council of Obas. Oke-Ogun cannot continue to operate at the margins of a structure it significantly sustains.

Yes, it is acknowledged that the Aseyin of Iseyin currently serves as the Secretary of the Oyo State Council of Obas. That position is noted and respected but it is not the destination,  Oke-Ogun cannot be permanently confined to administrative support roles. We cannot be the permanent secretary of a council where others rotate leadership. Just as we are perpetually assigned the deputy governor position in the political sphere, we must reject the idea that our destiny is to always play second fiddle in systems we collectively built.

His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Sefiu Olawale Oyebola Adeyeri is a bold, intelligent, and forward-thinking monarch, fully equipped for higher responsibility. Supporting his inclusion in the rotational chairmanship is not about ego or entitlement !  it is about dismantling an unwritten rule that quietly limits Oke-Ogun’s ascent.

Beyond structure lies dignity. At the Oyo State at 50 celebrations, many could not ignore how revered Obas were treated like second-class citizens in a state their forebears fought to establish. These are ancient thrones, custodians of history, land, and identity. To sideline them today is to disrespect the very foundation of Oyo State.

This moment calls for collective resolve. Oke-Ogun indigenes must assert their rightful place in the scheme of things. Our representatives in the Oyo State House of Assembly must remember that representation is not passive, they must stand up for their region as a bloc, not as isolated individuals, and abandon the comfort of rubber-stamp politics.

Indeed, there is an urgent need to call them home, for briefing, for alignment, and for accountability on this issue.

Balancing governance is not an act of confrontation, it is an act of justice. What is good for one must be good for all, a rotational chairmanship that excludes Oke-Ogun is neither progressive nor civilised, it is simply unfair.

Oke-Ogun has waited long enough, this is the time to stop standing beside the table and start sitting at it.

Akinwale Atepe writes from Abeokuta.

Exit of Peter Obi: A Litmus Test for the Labour Party (LP)

By Comrade Bashir Bello

The exit of Peter Obi from the Labour Party represents a defining moment; a litmus test  in the struggle of labour and the broader Left to chart a new course in the political emancipation of Nigeria’s subjugated workforce.

There is no doubt that workers constitute the bulk of the voting population. It is only through genuine identification with their material conditions, struggles, and aspirations that political forces can alter the direction of public policy in favour of the working class.

In the last general election, the Labour Party ,  like the Psalmist’s rejected cornerstone , suddenly rose to national political relevance. In a dramatic and unexpected leap, it emerged as a major force in the presidential and federal legislative elections, securing a strong third position.

This political surge was attributed to several factors, though certainly not to the strength of the labour movement itself. While some observers pointed to emotional and sentimental mobilization, often framed around ethnic and religious sentiments, others argued that the party’s success was largely driven by the personality and popularity of its presidential candidate, whose political stature overshadowed the party structure.

Both interpretations may contain elements of truth. However, one fact remains undeniable: Peter Obi contested under the banner of the Labour Party,  a party historically established through the efforts of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other labour organizations.

Looking ahead, what is required is not nostalgia, sentiment, or personality politics, but the emergence of a genuinely ideological Labour Party; one that is consciously rooted in Leftist principles, class consciousness, and social justice.

Such a party must be:

* Ideologically driven, not personality-centered

* 

Structurally grounded in the Left, with a clear political philosophy

* Cadre-based, built around disciplined, politically educated organizers

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and affiliated labour bodies must form the institutional backbone of this project, providing leadership, structure, and legitimacy at all levels: from branch and ward structures to state and national leadership.

The Labour Party must undergo serious reorganization -  rebuilding its ranks, reactivating its structures, and deploying its cadres into every community, ward, and constituency across the country to mobilize genuine grassroots support.

Only through this process can a true workers’ party emerge,  not merely a platform for electoral contests, but a political movement capable of transforming power relations and advancing the historic struggle for social, economic, and political justice in Nigeria.

This moment is not just about Peter Obi’s exit.

It is about whether the Labour Party will remain an electoral vehicle, or become a revolutionary instrument of working-class emancipation.

OPINION: ALAAFIN OWOADE AND THE POLITICS OF CHEAP BLACKMAIL

By Ade Sarafadeen Aderibigbe

Alaafin Owoade I 

Even President Bola Tinubu is likely to be currently green with envy. The way people are going, the president may order the shut down of the internet in the country, because in the last few weeks, Alaafin and Oyo Empire have edged the president out of focus on social media. Even people writing to criticize the empire or tell how their town or city was never influenced in the history by the Alaafin most times ended up mentioning Alaafin and Oyo Empire more than any other names in their refutal. It is not strange!

During the time of Alaafin Adeyemi 111, those who wanted to capitalize on certain event of party politics in the first republic to disparage the stool met more than their match in Alaafin Adeyemi. Alaafin Adeyemi was not just an eloquent speaker. He always backed up his claims with established historical records and glaring proofs.

The renewed onslaught against the throne of the Alaafin had started even before Alaafin Owoade assumed throne. If you have been following keenly, mercenary bloggers and paid writers had long stormed the social media, creating a box that suited their own fancy, which the incoming Alaafin must necessarily fit himself into, even if it doesn't reflect the royal status of his forbears in any way. Since the incoming king was young in age, they must have recorned he would easily be bullied by social media posts ( and not history) into accepting the relegation of Alaafin' throne. They were disappointed!

When the new Alaafin rejected their unfitting gown sewn in mischief and instead chose the exalted regalia of his forefathers, he suddenly became arrogant in their eyes. Those who hated the gut of Alaafin Adeyemi suddenly fell in love with how "he was gentle" unlike this one!

"See, he is young, why must be concerned about supremacy?" As if the best thing for him is to watch the throne he's occupying being dishonored and wait till he turns seventy and grows grey hair before he starts protesting the hanky-panky against his stool.

"Haa! What is all this? When he should be building companies and developing his town." Granted that it is part of an Oba's role to rally his people for the creation of jobs and societal developments. It is also a credit if he has the means to do so himself. But that is never the yardstick to measure the historical status of an Oba, and having an investment pushing mindset is not mutually exclusive to knowing the worth of his throne.

And is this not funny? People shake hands everyday. It is a gesture of friendship. The place and position is not important. People shake hands while sitting inside bus. They shake hands even when one of the two is lying on his bed in his hostel. They shake hands even if one is sitting inside his car and the other is standing by the side. It is when a supposed incident of snubbery in which Alaafin even seemed to be on the receiving end occurred that shaking hands while in sitting position suddenly became a taboo, "crude and primitive" according to a certain enlightened journalist and actor! Just imagine what hatred does to mentality!

What is going on now is not an attempt to repel any predominant influence since today's Obas have no constitutional rights to make policy in any state. What is happening is an orchestrated scheme to tramp down on history for self interests. On one hand are those who joined the conspiracy for mere sentimental or chauvinistic reason, and on the other hand are politicians trying to score political points, and using the Obaship thing to impress what they consider to be the largest block of the state population.

Yes, maybe the natives of Oyo take pride in hearing people saying "Ara Oyo lo l'Oba". But disparaging the referred stool of the Alaafin, in the long run does not just translate to humiliating the people of Oyo, if that would make you happy. It translates to uprooting the true meaning of the Obaship institution in Yoruba land. It disconnects that institution from its historical foundation and blots out its essence. It would soon make the Obas' stools look like a mere parallel arrangements to certain political portfolios of modern day democracy if that's what we now want them to be. And soon the younger generation would see a Yoruba Oba and say "look. Is that not Mr Oba coming?"

This is not largely about who emerged as the new Alaafin or any Oba's demeanor. Any discerning eye can see the true picture. This is more of political intrigue against the established history of the Yorubas.

Alaafin Owoade : An Embodiment Of Humility

BY BODE DUROJAIYE

Alaafin Owoade I 

Whenever there are thoughts of traits, leaders typically exhibit what

come to minds of many people including strength, charisma, enthusiasm,

and vision.

 One important component is often overlooked, which is humility.

There had been talks about the power of persuasion and this

over-the-top self-confidence in leaders, which is a very top-down

style oalaaf leadership.

People are increasingly competitive, attention-seeking, arrogance,

over-confidence, entitlement ,a perpetual focus on the self, and

narcissistic, obsessed with their appearance and entitled.

The essence of humility is recognizing your own limitations and place in the world without diminished self-worth, focusing outward, and valuing others; it's about thinking of yourself less, not thinking less of yourself, manifesting as openness, deep listening, acknowledging imperfection, and a willingness to learn and grow, contrasting with prideful self-importance. 

It's a quiet strength that fosters connection and collaboration by seeing shared humanity and appreciating wisdom from all sources.

 Recognising one’s limitations and interdependence fosters a humble approach to life.

All religions emphasise humility in both behaviour and belief, as they highlight the importance of responding with humility and kindness, even in the face of adversity.

They place  high value on humility, as humility is seen as a necessary attribute for spiritual growth and ethical living.

What is more, kindness is sometimes perceived as weakness in a world that often rewards aggression and self-interest. However, true strength lies in the ability to be kind and compassionate despite the potential for exploitation.

In reflecting on these , it becomes clear that humility is a universal value, celebrated across various religious and philosophical traditions. It is about recognising our interconnectedness and the value of others, regardless of our own status or success. 

To the Alaafin , Paramount Ruler of Oyo Kingdom and the Superior Head of Yorubaland, Oba Engineer Akeem Abimbola Owoade 1, humility is,  ""the highest virtue, the mother of them all"".

Oba  Owoade is  humble to a fault, as he does not only respect and give courtesy to others, give himself  that same courtesy and respect in return, assertive, not aggressive, self-confident  but never at the expense of others, and  give to others what they would essentially like to give to themselves.

Oba Owoade is open and receptive to alternate perspectives and ideas,  and does not put on an act to try to live up to lofty standards and expectations.

 As a result, Alaafin experiences less stress and anxiety, but always open to learning from every experience.

The Paramount Ruler puts others on a pedestal before himself, and this is not because they are inferior, weak-minded or lacking in self-esteem, but rather because he clearly understands that by raising others helps build their confidence.

These virtues of the Foremost  King of Yoruba nation are still being appreciated during his thank you visits to virtually prominent Yoruba Obas who attended his colourful coronation ceremony , and also to extend hands of unity, mutual co existence and love to the royal fathers for the much needed peace and development which had long been eluding the Yoruba nation. 

These steps clearly portrayed the Alaafin as an inspirational FATHER, who clearly understands how to play each role for the greater benefits of the traditional institutions in Yoruba land.

 Alaafin not only have a zest and appreciation for life, appreciate the smallest of things that others typically take for granted, and Is intensely focused on serving the greater good of others, Oba Owoade is always keenly aware of people’s desire, wants and needs.

Oba Owoade is of the conviction that "" unity holds the essential vision that we are one living, interconnected ecosystem—a living Earth that supports and nourishes all of its inhabitants. If we acknowledge and honor this simple reality, we can begin to participate in the vital work of healing our fractured and divisive world and embrace a consciousness of oneness that is our human heritage. This is the opportunity that is being offered to us, even as its dark twin is constellating the dynamics of nationalism, tribalism, isolationism, and all the other regressive forces that express ‘me’ rather than ‘we.’"

As a result, he listens intently when others are talking, and seek first to understand before jumping to any wayward conclusions.

As we navigate the complexities of success and human interactions, embodying humility can lead to more meaningful and respectful relationships, fostering a world where power and kindness coexist harmoniously.

 BODE DUROJAIYE, Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Paramount Ruler of Oyo Kingdom and the Superior Head of Yorubaland.  

The Alaafins of Oyo and the Archilles' Heel of Supremacy By Professor Omobowale

My position on this issue has always been constant, even if it is not very popular and it is anchored on the concept that whatever is accepted as the head should not be forced against  its will to become a tail -- 'Oun ti a ba fi se ori, ko ye ko di ru'.

I recall that my late father, Pastor Ebenezer Olumuyiwa Omobowale was the Permanent Secretary (Chieftaincy Affairs),  of the Old Oyo State, when the issue of supremacy and who should be the Permanent Chairman of the Council of Obas first reared its head between Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III and Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Ooni of Ife. I recall that in those days, both the civil servants, as well as the civilian and military administrators of Oyo State, walked on eggshells so as not to offend the two Kings whose rivalry made the Council almost ineffective and this continued until the creation of Osun State in 1991.  I now hail from Osun state, and I would try to be impartial and objective in my comments on this issue on whether the Olubadan and Soun should enjoy the same status as the Alaafin of Oyo. 

Oba Adeyemi III was a good keeper of records, and some of the information that I would subsequently share here are both public knowledge that he widely re-circulated in his various letters to support his position that the Alaafin of Oyo was the most prominent Yoruba ruler prior to the introduction of colonialism.  It is widely known that the British colonial administrators regarded and referred to Alaafin Adeyemi Alowolodu I as the Head of the Yoruba Nation. This was documented and there were different meetings which took place in Oyo town and which were attended by prominent Yoruba kings like the Alake of Egbaland and the Ooni of Ife, under the chairmanship of Alaafin Siyanbola Ladigbolu I, who  succeeded Oba Adeyemi Alowolodu I. Professor Wole Soyinka's play, *Death and the King's Horseman*, is based in the tragic incidents that occurred in Oyo after the demise of Alaafin Siyanbola Ladigbolu. In 1911, Captain Ross, the head of the Oyo Province, had asked Ladigbolu whether he wanted Oyo to become the permanent capital of the province. Ladigbolu rejected the idea, apparently, because he wanted to limit the influence of Western civilisation on the people of Oyo town. Oftentimes, I have wondered if there would have been any controversy about the foremost position of the Alaafin of Oyo among Yoruba Kings if Oyo had become the political capital of Yorubaland, like Ibadan. I am sure that the Alaafins would have had enough clout to assert their rights as Yorubaland's leading monarchs, in what has now become perilous times for them.

As we are all aware, the 19th Century was a period of great upheaval and turmoil in Yorubaland as a result of the incursion of the Fulanis from Ilorin and the various attempts by the various sub units of the Yoruba to assert their independence from Oyo. There is no gainsaging the fact that the Oyo Empire, which had stretched from parts of present-day Niger State to parts of present-day Togo, was in dire straits. However, despite that fact, most of the different kingdoms in Yorubaland still accepted the pre-eminent status and position of the Alaafin of Oyo. It was this knowledge that made Oja - whose descendants are located in Isale Oyo till today- to willingly accept the overlordship of Alaafin Atiba Atobatele, when he relocated the capital of the Oyo Empire to Ago Oja after his predecessor, Alaafin Oluewu was killed by the Fulanis. 

Atiba had taken the decision to capitalise on the military strength of Ibadan in order to protect the remnants of the Oyo Empire from the destructive incursions of the Fulani of Ilorin and their Yoruba collaborators. By the time Atiba moved to Ago Oja, Ibadan had become a formidable military outpost. It had been established in the early part of the 19th Century, around 1829, as a war camp, on land that previously belonged to people who relocated to Abeokuta and who we now refer to as the Egbas. At the onset, Ibadan's early settlers came from Ife, and the most prominent of these people were warriors like Lagelu and Maye. However, with the passage of time, most of the families in Ibadan, as well as the political leadership, came from parts of Yorubaland that had always accepted the supremacy of the Alaafin of Oyo. Ibadan now became the Protector of Oyo, even while her political leaders disputed the position of the Alaafin as their supreme sovereign and overlord. The fact that Ibadan accepted the leadership of Oyo was clearly reflected in the Ibadan- Ijaye War. Alaafin Atiba had told the Ibadans to ensure that his son, Adelu, succeeded him. The Ibadan implemented Atiba's directive to the letter by attacking Ijaye, a war that ended in 1865, with the death of Kurunmi. Thus, while a chequered relationship existed between Oyo and Ibadan, the Alaafin's supremacy was not in doubt. This was why someone like  Latosisa, who was originally from Ilora, an Oyo vassal, requested that Alaafin Adeyemi Alowolodu I should make him the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland despite the fact that Ojo Aburumaku of Ogbomosho, who was Aare Ona Kakanfo at the time that Latosisa became the ruler of Ibadan, was still alive. Adeyemi I agreed to this request, which foregrounded the dependence of the remnant of the Oyo Empire on Ibadan. 

Now, the pertinent question is this: Should Ibadan's position as the defender of Oyo in the 19th Century translate into equal status for the rulers of Oyo, Ibadan, and even Ogbomoso today? In Japan, a similar situation existed for thousands of years, prior to the defeat of Japan, in 1945, after the end of the Second World War. In Japan, the Yamato Dysnasty has ruled for almost 2,000 unbroken years, with the throne directly passing from father to son. Throughout the long history of the Japanese Imperial Family, the members have always been protected by powerful military families known as the Shoguns, who  never tried to upstage or displace the Japanese Emperor. I believe that the rulers of Ibadan also had this orientation, and that relationship subsisted up till 1936, when Baale Okunlola Abbass Aleshinloye became the first Olubadan of Ibadan and the first ruler of Ibadan to wear a beaded crown. In the case of Ogbomosho, the first Soun to wear a beaded crown was Oba Jimoh Oyewumi Ajagungbade III, who despite strong opposition from the Western State government and Alaafin Adeyemi III, insisted on wearing a crown at his coronation in 1973!

The problems that the rulers of Oyo town have today, in asserting the pre-eminent position of Oyo's Kings, are largely traceable to the politics of the Western Region in the late 1940s and the early 1950s. After the establishment of the Egbe Omo Oduduwa by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, he needed something that could unite all the Yorubas together under a single umbrella. That unifying symbol was Ile Ife to and Ooni Adesoji Aderemi was central to making Awolowo's dreams a reality. The promotion of Ife and the Ooni of Ife by the Action Group government effectively sidelined the Alaafins of Oyo. Unfortunately, for the Oyo royal family, there was also a perception that the rulers of Oyo had alligned themselves with Nnamdi Azikiwe's NCNC party, and this belief was accentuated by the verbal clash between the Balogun of Oyo, Chief Bode Thomas and Alaafin Adeyemi II in 1953. The death of Bode Thomas immediately after his encounter with Alaafin Adeyemi II led to the dethronement of Alaafin Adeyemi II that same year,  after which he was banished to Lagos. By the time his successor, Oba Bello Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II, became the Alaafin in 1955, Ooni Aderemi had been ruling Ile Ife for 25 years and he had the total support of the AG government. There was no way a Bello Gbadegesin Ladigbolu could assert his rights as the foremost Yoruba Oba. His successor, Alaafin Adeyemi III became Alaafin in 1971, by which time, Ooni Aderemi had been on the throne for 41 years and the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo still had an overwhelming influence on events in the Western part of Nigeria! Apart from this, the memoirs of the late Dr Omololu Olunloyo have revealed that Olunloyo even consulted Ooni Aderemi when he was trying to find someone to succeed the late Alaafin Bello Gbadegeson Ladigbolu. The import of this was that up until the death of Ooni Aderemi in 1980, it was practically impossible for Alaafin Adeyemi III to do anything worthwhile to stop his non recognition as Yorubaland's leading King. Thus, the installation of Ooni Sijuwade II, in 1980, became an opportunity for Alaafin Adeyemi III to correct what he believed was an anomaly. Unfortunately, the battle for supremacy between the two men, opened what has now become a Pandora's Box in Oyo State and tje rest of Yorubaland. 

The context within which any Alaafin would look at the constitution of any Council of Obas and Chiefs that fails to recognise the historically supported pre-eminent position of Oyo is this: up till 1936, every Baale of Ibadan or prominent chief installed in Ibadan was with the consent of the Alaafin of Oyo. In the case of Ogbomosho, up till 1973, no Soun could be installed in Ogbomosho without the consent of the Alaafin of  Oyo. This, I believe, is the crux of the matter. 

On this platform, some people have argued that it is imperative that we should move with the times and that every Alaafin must accept that the status of Oyo's  former vasssls, the Olubadan and the Soun have changed. They position that the Alaafin is now primus interpares or first among equals. However, there is also some truth in the saying that a river that forgets its source will dry up, eventually. I would like to contextualise the matter further by using this illustration from the Ibadan Traditional Council. Right now, the Alakufo of Akufo and Onido of Ido are regarded as kings. Will any Olubadan, in future accept that these 2 kings - the Alakufo and the Onido should rotate the Chairmanship of the Ibadan Traditional Council with him? Even Olubadan Ladoja had issues with Ibadan High Chiefs becoming Obas!

I think that the simple solution to this issue is for the government to recognise the position of the Alaafin of tje most prominent king in Oyo State. History supports this position and it is imperative that we must  not forget the past if we desire a meaningful development of our future. In the Northern part of Nigeria, the prominent position of the Sultan remains unchallenged and I do not know why this cannot be sustained in Oyo State, with regards to the Alaafin of Oyo. Like I said yesterday, despite the reduced status of the defunct British Empire, the British Sovereign is still celebrated as the most prominent royal personality in the whole world.

By Professor Emmanuel Omobowale

Department of English

University of Ibadan.