Three years after the passage of the late Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ile, Oba Abdulyekeen Ayinla Oladipupo IV, who joined his ancestors on the 7th of April, 2022, the ancient town have remained leaderless with the Onikoyi Palace deserted and left in shambles.
The town have been left without a King since 2022 and the ancient Palace have been abandoned and left in ruins with the structures dilapidated.
A visit to Ikoyi-Ile community will leave anyone curious of why it has been difficult to fill the vacant Onikoyi stool. Candidates from three of the four established ruling houses contending for the vacant throne have long been presented and screened by Kingmakers but the process have remained abrupt and inconclusive with different twist and turns. A strange twist in the matter is the rumoured incursion of some external forces who are non-Ikoyis with no direct linkage to the Onikoyi stool or family lineage in Ikoyi-Ile lobbying and parading themselves as potential candidates for the ancient throne.
Investigations reveal that 16 contenders expressed interest and were initially screened by the Kingmakers for the throne.
However, the wait have remained endless as the whole process have been shielded in secrecy with a few influential government functionaries trying to impose their choice of candidate on the community.
The absence of an official Gazette by the Oyo State Government on the Onikoyi Chieftaincy have also made the process clumsy creating unnecessary tension and distrust.
The Balogun of Ikoyi-Ile who is also the Head of the Kingmakers and the one holding forte till the emergence of a new Onikoyi said he has written to the Governor for his intervention on the matter. He said the community will continue to appeal to the Governor and the Government of Oyo State to come to the aid of Ikoyi-Ile and save the ancient Onikoyi stool from extinction.
The Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ile is the Paramount Ruler of Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and the Chairman of the Traditional Council. Historically, the Onikoyi is a blood brother of Oranyan who later became the Alaafin. The Onikoyi was reputed as the premier provincial king in the old Oyo Empire and next in command to the Alaafin of Oyo. The Onikoyi was the head of the military force of the Old Oyo Empire that spans as far as Dahomey. In protecting the Old Oyo Empire, Ikoyi-Ile also played several significant roles in Yoruba history one of such was the hosting of what is now referred to by Yoruba Historians as the Ikoyi Peace Conference of 1826 at the instance of the Alaafin Majotu to push back the fulanis attempt to subdue the Empire. The peace conference was to address the grievance of provincial Kings across the Empire who were undermining the authority of the Alaafin and rally the Yorubas against the onslaught of the invaders.
For a community that have been resilient and able to overcome the vicissitudes of times, one cannot but wonder at the turn of events even in modern times.
Youths in Ikoyi-Ile are now appealing to Governor Seyi Makinde to come to their succour on the issue of the selection and appointment of another Onikoyi which is long over due.
The community have lost so much especially in terms of cultural and tourism activities. The annual Antete Festival that showcases the past exploits of the Onikoyi and Ikoyi Esos spread across about 5 States in Nigeria and a few countries on the West Coast of Africa have been put on hold for years and the Antete site itself have been neglected in the absence of the Onikoyi who is the natural custodian of the heritage.
The annual Ikoyi Eso Day Celebration that brings all Ikoyi Sons and Daughters back to the source at Ikoyi-Ile has also been jettisoned all because there is no Onikoyi on the throne to lead the festival rites, procession and receive guests during the annual homecoming of Ikoyis worldwide and for the celebration of the Ikoyi Eso Day festival.
The horses and drums that were common sites at the Onikoyi Palace are no longer there and the Palace itself have been abandoned with the structures dilapidated.
Ikoyi-Ile is the ancestral homeland of Ikoyis who are now settled in places like Lagos, Kogi, Ekiti, Osun, Ondo, Kwara and Ogun State as well as in nearby countries like Benin Republic and Togo.
Ikoyi-Ile is the only town in Oyo State that has recreated itself in several locations and still retains it’s identity, culture and tradition.
The town reels in pain as it watches external forces downgrade it’s unique heritage and pride of place in Yoruba history. This is one community that perhaps can be said to be ubiquitous across the entire Yorubaland and beyond.
The question everyone is asking now is when will a new Onikoyi emerge? And why is the Oyo State Government not interested in Ikoyi-Ile given the richness of her history, culture and tourism potentials? The vibrant annual homecoming festivals are gone and the seasonal homage to the Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ile by Baales across Ikoyiland and the Eso Ikoyis globally is now gradually becoming a thing of the past.
Why are external forces trying to push Ikoyi-Ile and Ikoyis into oblivion? These are questions that can only be answered by the constituted authorities.
