Monarch doesn’t have to worship deity — Oluwo faults Justice Akinside over obaship remarks

The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has faulted the remarks made by Justice Phillips Akinside of the Ogun State High Court on the obligations of traditional rulers to adhere to customary practices, including deity worship and burial rites.

Justice Akinside had, during the fifth Chief Kehinde Sofola Memorial Bar Lecture on Wednesday, stated that monarchs must submit to the traditions and burial rites of the institutions they willingly joined. 

He argued that once a person becomes an Oba in line with local customs, they cannot later reject those same traditions under the guise of religious freedom, as doing so would amount to shifting the goalpost mid-game.

In a strongly worded response on Sunday, the Iwo monarch expressed displeasure over what he described as a sacrilegious and misleading statement attributed to the judge. 

He said the judge’s position attempted to drag Yorubas backwards despite their emancipation from what he called “the poverty of the mind.”

Oluwo argued that the judge lacked a clear understanding of culture, stating that culture should not be equated with religion or deity worship. 

According to him, Yoruba Obas are not spiritual leaders and should not be compelled to engage in practices associated with secret societies or idol worship. 

He maintained that kings have the constitutional freedom to practise any religion of their choice, whether Islam, Christianity or traditional belief systems.

The monarch further stated that there is no existing law compelling traditional rulers in Nigeria to worship deities, join secret societies, or submit to ritual practices after death. 

He challenged the claim that such customs are binding, describing them as personal opinions lacking legal backing.

Oluwo also warned against efforts to diminish the dignity of traditional rulers, insisting that such attempts would be firmly resisted. 

He questioned the rationale behind promoting occult practices in the name of culture, particularly when they have led to the loss of innocent lives through ritual killings.

He praised the Ogun State Government and leading traditional rulers in the state for championing the constitutional protection of monarchs from posthumous ritual practices, calling on other Yoruba states to follow their lead. 

Oluwo reaffirmed that in Iwo, deceased monarchs are not subjected to mutilation, distancing such practices from mainstream Yoruba customs.

The statement reads, “I’m displeased reading the remark on Obaship made by a State High Court in Ogun State, Justice Phillips Akinside. His statement was not only sacrilegious but also a deliberate attempt to mislead Yorubas who have already freed themselves from the poverty of the mind.

“The judge has no deep definition of culture. Culture is not religion-Islam, Christianity and deity worshipping. Culture and traditions are not deity worshipping.  Yoruba Obas are not religious leaders like Alfas, Pastors, Ogbonis, Osugbos or herbalists. And kings have the freedom to choose which of the religions to practice at will.  No religion has the right to foist its practices on an Oba. 

“Note that the acts of worshipping deities are not limited to the Yorubas. Igbos also worship deities, so, can’t be called our culture. I believe Justice Akinside is just passing his own opinion because there is no law supporting butchering and cutting dead kings into pieces.  Kings in Nigeria are Nigerians. I’m not equally aware of any law enforcing Traditional Rulers to worship deity, belonging to secret societies and the likes. Traditional institution is not a judiciary.

”Nigerians, including kings, have the constitution guiding the conduct of everyone. In the olden days, kings wielded power autocratically. There were traditional prisons in the olden days. Justice Akinside, If you want us to go back to the past, you will not have land today, I would have snatched it. Your wife would have been snatched by the king. Kings committed many evils with impunity. I hope the judge knows the meaning of “Oba Gbesele”, meaning “Kings snatch it”. There was no coordination in those days until the enactment of the constitution guiding the conduct of everyone.

“The criteria to become a king is to be a prince and not a deity worshipper or belonging to secret societies like Osugbos, Ogboni etc. The judge must be dreaming. Every attempt to desecrate traditional rulers and the institution will continually be resisted by noble monarchs. Thank goodness the judge is not a lawmaker. A king must be freed. 

“The secret clubs are purposely designed to restrict the freedom and rights of traditional rulers. Traditional rulers must resist all coordinated attempts to limit their rights. Of what justification are these occultic practices you are promoting to the destiny of our innocent children killed for rituals in Yorubaland?

“Again, I want to register my commendation to the Ogun State Government and foremost traditional rulers in Ogun—Awujale, Akarigbo, and Olu of Ilaro, for leading the campaign that eventually led to the constitutional freedom of monarchs from molestation after their death, and I hope other Yoruba states follow suit.

“In Iwo, we don’t cut monarchs into pieces after their death. Such is the practice of the Osugbos and Ogbonis,  not general to the Yorubas. Responsible Monarchs are fathers to the nation who have served their people just like a compassionate president. 

“The old ways are not perfect. It must be reviewed. I challenge the judge to give his children tribal marks. Fuel subsidy has been one of the banes of Nigeria’s greatness for years. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu summoned the courage and confronted the devil. The retrogressive practices of the dark age with no substantial positive influence must be reviewed. If you think you need to stay in the past, drive your children there. 

“Leave kingship for kings who know the difference between occultic family practices (Oro Idile)  and traditions. The statement credited to Justice Akinside is his opinion. Opinions are personal.

“One of the purposes of a meaningful existence is to correct the mistakes of the past. Traditional institution is not like a goalpost of a football. Traditional institutions are dynamic. It should be in tune with time. You can’t stay in the past and get to the future.”

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