A recent incident involving former President Olusegun Obasanjo has sparked controversy and raised questions about traditional respect and authority in Yoruba culture.
During the commissioning of projects in Iseyin, Oyo State on Friday, September 15, Obasanjo directed traditional rulers to stand and greet Governor Seyi Makinde.
This move has drawn sharp criticism from the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, News About Nigeria gathered.
In a short video from the event that has now gone viral, Obasanjo was seen chastising the monarchs for not rising to their feet to greet Governor Makinde, whom he asserted holds a higher position in the hierarchy of authority.
Obasanjo explained, “In our (Yoruba) culture, we honour two main things: age and position. The governor’s position is higher than that of any monarch in as much as he is still the governor.”
Oba Akanbi, however, did not take kindly to Obasanjo’s directive.
In a statement released through his Press Secretary, Alli Ibrahim, the Oluwo of Iwo condemned the former President’s actions and demanded an apology. He emphasized that Yoruba monarchs cannot be treated as uniform individuals who can be ordered around.
The statement read, “I trust myself and my stool. In death, there are certain things my soul will not take, let alone when alive, active, and kicking.
“I only blame the monarchs who stood in obeisance to such an ignoble and desecration of traditional institutions by the old man. Respect should be earned, not demanded.”
The Oluwo further pointed out that traditional rulers also deserve respect from their subjects, and that there are protocols for giving respect to individuals based on age and position.
He highlighted that kingship is a sacred institution, and relating with kings requires a high sense of modesty, courtesy, and respect.
Oba Akanbi criticised both Obasanjo’s actions and the royal fathers who complied with his directive, referring to the former President’s behaviour as an “affront” and “intentional desecration” of revered Yoruba royal institutions.
