Nigerian Monarchs Have Lost Their Reverence

In September 2023, many Nigerians were surprised by a viral video of former military head of state and two-term democratic president, Olusegun Obasanjo, dishing out orders to traditional rulers at a public function. ‘Stand up…sit down’, he roared at the monarchs who could only hide their obvious displeasure in their royal regalia as they obeyed him. They stood and sat while the former military leader nodded in satisfaction.

What made the incident particularly surprising was that it occurred in a place many consider the political headquarters of Yorubaland, Oyo State, and Obasanjo is a renowned Yoruba leader as he holds the title of the Balogun of Owu Kingdom, amongst other chieftaincy titles. In fact, he is nicknamed ‘Ebora Owu’—a sorcerer in Owu Kingdom.

Obasanjo’s action is considered a sacrilege, due to the god-like status of monarchs in the Yoruba culture: it is considered a betrayal of the gods of the land and many, including politicians, like Femi Fani Kayode and reverends are calling ‘for his head to be fed to the gods.’ Fani Kayode said: ‘We must not take it lightly and the truth is that by doing what he did he has spat on all our faces. His words and behaviour are a desecration of our values and a grave insult to the Yoruba people and our traditional institutions.’ But before we offer the sorcerer’s head to the gods, what really happened in the video in question?

The incident occurred during the inauguration of various projects in Iseyin, Oyo State, where the former president was a special guest of honour. Obasanjo scolded the monarchs for breaching state protocol at the event when they did not stand to greet the state governor, Seyi Makinde. In a media interview, in which he responded to critics, the former president said:

Defenders and sympathizers of Nigeria’s deteriorating traditional institutions dressed the elder statesman in a tirade of insults and criticisms. Yoruba Council Worldwide, the apex Yoruba indigenous organisation wrote to all monarchs in Yorubaland, demanding that Obasanjo be stripped of all chieftaincy titles, including the title of Balogun of Owu Kingdom. Afenifere, another influential Yoruba socio-cultural group, demanded an apology from the former president.

Yoruba monarchs also reacted. The Oluwo of Iwo, Abdulrosheed Akanbi expressed disappointment in both Obasanjo, for the military-style orders given to the monarchs, and the monarchs for obeying the former president’s orders. He demanded a public apology from Obasanjo. Olugbon of Orile Igbon, Oba Francis Alao, who was at the event, described the experience as unfortunate. He said: ‘We respect protocols. It is unfortunate what happened. Members of the Oyo State Council of Obas are law-abiding citizens and we respect constituted authority. We are also leaders; we will respond at a later time but not now.’ The former president, however, has shown no remorse for his actions and continues to ignore the criticism.

This is not the first time the traditional institution has been subject to ridicule and disrespect, and likely not the last. Since the integration of traditional rulers into the contemporary political system, there have been countless incidents of tension between traditional rulers and politicians who possess real political power. A former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, called a monarch ‘a small senseless boy’ to his face in 2020. Wike lampooned the monarch in a meeting in the government house. The governor had asked the traditional rulers in attendance who had their staff of office to stand up, saying it is disrespectful for them not to carry it around.  The monarch in question shook his head in agreement and in reaction, Wike verbally attacked him describing him as a young boy. He said: ‘I know him when I was in school, he was running around us, going on errands. Now he’s dressing like Usman Dan Fodio (founder of Sokoto caliphate). Then he begins to breach protocol. He thinks when he’s shaking his head like this, I’d be happy. That’s fake…that’s fake…’

Former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria {CBN}, Lamido Sanusi, was unceremoniously dethroned as emir of Kano by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje in 2020 for allegedly disrespecting the office of the governor and replaced him with the current emir, Aminu Ado Bayero. Ganduje did not stop there as he banished the former CBN to a remote town in Nasarawa State. Sanusi’s grandfather suffered a similar fate in 1963, when he was deposed by the then premier of the northern region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, and banished to a small town in Bauchi State.

In 2005, former governor of Kebbi State, Adamu Aliero, deposed the emir of Gwandu, Mustapha Jokolo, for allegedly making ‘reckless statements’ capable of threatening national security. He was only reinstated by a court in 2014. In 1996, the late Ibrahim Dasuki was deposed as sultan of Sokoto by the military regime of General Sanni Abacha. His dethronement was orally communicated to him by the military administrator of Sokoto State, Yakubu Muazu.