Iba Gani Adams, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, has cautioned social media users, bloggers, and content producers against using posts and comments about seniority issues to sow division among the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, and other monarchs in the South-West.
Adams issued this caution on Wednesday at the 2025 Oke ‘Badan Festival, which was hosted at Mapo Hall in the capital of Oyo State, Ibadan.
Adams said, “I have watched with dismay the recent unnecessary comparison being drawn between the Alaafin of Oyo’s stool and that of the Ooni of Ife, regarding which one is senior to the other, by bloggers and some online media platforms.The Aare Ona Kakanfo urged content creators to be responsible in their reporting and cautious when creating content for their various platforms without inflaming public sentiment. “Let me reiterate that both traditional stools and the revered royal imperial majesties occupying them are two of the most prominent Obas in Yorubaland and globally.” “I especially appeal to bloggers across the region and the country not to publish content capable of creating disunity among our traditional rulers and respected traditional institutions.”
Speaking on the occasion, Adams said, “The Oke-Ibadan Festival is a yearly celebration that honours the founding of Ibadan, the Aboke, and the people of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
“It is a cultural and traditional event where the Ibadan people pay respect to their ancestors, reaffirm their cultural values, and promote unity.
“Oke-Ibadan,” which means “Hill of Ibadan,” refers to the initial settlement location on a hill where the city was established in the eighteenth century. Although there are differing opinions on the origin of “Oke Ibadan,” it is generally accepted that the event was founded by Lagelu, Oro Apata-Maja, the man who founded Ibadan.
He urged the Oyo state government to make the hill a tourist destination by raising awareness about its historical and cultural importance.
“The Oke-Ibadan Festival serves as a reminder of the historical background of the Ibadan people and the legacy of their founders. The festival includes honouring the goddess of the hill and acknowledging the role of the city’s founding fathers.
“Oke Ibadan is a formidable and highly historical rock to the Ibadan people. It played a vital role during ancient wars. Ibadan people see the rock as a source of children, wealth, and many other blessings.”
He also urged the state’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism to list the rock as one of the major tourist sites in Yorubaland.
He stated, “The ministry should promote it just like Olumo Rock in Abeokuta, Oke Idanre in Ondo, Oke Erinmo in Ilesa, Oke Asabari in Saki, Oke Iyake in Ado-Awaye, Oke Agelu in Oyo State, and many other spiritually significant rocks across the region.”
Guest lecturer, Ambassador Afolabi Olaniyi, called on the federal government to recruit more security personnel, stating that protecting lives and property is a core duty of any government.
Olaniyi also advocated for the establishment of Police Universities across the six geopolitical zones.
He said, “You need to know the population of the country in order to plan adequate security. Now, Nigeria is said to have over two hundred million citizens with about five hundred thousand police officers.
“With this figure, you will see that we don’t have enough officers to protect everyone because out of the five hundred thousand, commercial banks and VIPs also hire some of them for private operations. Nigeria needs at least five million police officers.”
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