Alaafin to unite Yoruba communities in Benin ahead of Oyo Empire Day
By Adejayan Gbenga
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has moved to strengthen unity among Yoruba communities in the Republic of Benin ahead of the proposed Oyo Empire Day celebration.
The monarch sent his representative, Prince Sheriff Adebayo-Onisile, a renowned Yoruba historian, on a three-day mission to the country for consultations, cultural diplomacy, reconciliation and mobilisation ahead of the celebration.
The mission focused on strengthening the historical and cultural ties between the old Oyo Empire and Yoruba communities in the Republic of Benin, while encouraging greater participation in the proposed Oyo Empire Day.
According to a statement by the Alaafin’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, Onisile met with traditional rulers, Yoruba elders, politicians, sociocultural leaders, traders and other prominent members of the Yoruba community during the visit.
In Porto-Novo, Onisile was received by Oba Dr. Rafiu Atanda Adesakin, the Aladjache of Adjache-Ile, where discussions centred on Yoruba unity, cultural preservation, the historical relationship between Dahomey and the old Oyo Empire, and the planned visit of the Alaafin to the Republic of Benin.
He also met Chief Clement Kouchade, the minister for Secondary Education and Bashorun of Pobeland in Plateau Province, at the Federal Secretariat in Cotonou, with discussions focusing on Oyo heritage, historical and cultural ties between Yoruba communities in Nigeria and Benin, and the need for unity and peaceful coexistence.
Onisile later met the leadership of Ẹgbẹ Isokan Ọmọ Yoruba in Benin and representatives of the Agboluaje and Onikoyi families, where he delivered the Alaafin’s message of peace and unity, while the umbrella body pledged to support reconciliation among Yoruba factions in Porto-Novo.
The final leg of the mission took Onisile to Ayogo-Ile, an ancient settlement with historical links to Oyo-Ile, where discussions centred on the traditional relationship between the community and the Alaafin’s Palace, with the visit expected to further strengthen cultural and traditional ties ahead of the Oyo Empire Day celebration.
