Yoruba Kingship: Between Alase Lori Orisha And Igbakeji Orisha – by Alli Ibraheem

By calling, I am a journalist. At all cost and by all standard, I protect journalism. I am a symbol of the profession. I lampoon anyone who abuses the profession. If a journalist betray the profession, there is an authorised body to penalise such a person. If anyone maltreat a journalist discharging his or her official duty fairly, such a personality will be dealt with. This principle applies to many other professions.

Yoruba Kingship is the richest monarchical house in the world. It commands natural respect and attribution. Only Yoruba kings bear the same name as God- Kabio kosi meaning the unquestionable. The earthly kings are physical representations of God on earth. As such, they are submissive only to Olodumare (God). Thus, Kingship is a pure institution of God. When you are called to the bar as a lawyer, you protect the institution at all costs, by all standards. Failure of which may get you penalised.

From time immemorial, Yoruba Kingship has been adulterated. It started purely. At a point, many chiefs who are closer allies of Yoruba kings lumped their family and compound deification by convincing the king to worship certain idols. Because of the porosity of the palace and the fear of the unknown, almost all of them accepted and started worshipping deities. Meanwhile, Oduduwa, the founding father of the Yoruba monarchy, worshipped no deity, bowed to no idol.

This adulteration persisted without any challenge. It led to the subjugation of the Yoruba crowns to the dictates and commandments of secret societies such as the Ogbonis, Osugbo, and the like. Yoruba monarchs are compelled to join, queuing in order of their acceptance into the society. Their subjects they met there become senior. The head turns to the tail. The king bowed to his subjects at night. What a shame!!

The ascension of Oluwo in 2015 has changed the narrative. Oluwo of Iwoland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi commenced a radical traditional cleansing and redemption of Yoruba Kingship. He challenged the old order, the wrong approach, and declared himself ” Alase Lori Orisha ” meaning “Commandant over deities.”

He brought a new hope intended to liberate the Yoruba traditional institution from the prison of deiy worshippers/secret societies. He dared the devils, holding firmly to Olodumare, the owner of every throne. In this process of checkmating corruption in Yoruba monarchy, promoters of the porous system started throwing stones. In his royal retort, with the divine guardian of Olodumare, Oluwo is gathering those stones (criticism) to build a royal castle.

Oba Akanbi described every human being as God chosen (Eni Ori Sa Da- the chosen ones. God is the ori. Many sperms contested before the chosen one becomes a being. Everyone is Orisha. Your achievements in life determine whether you are a big or bigger Orisha. Irrespective of what you become, no orisha is worthy to be worshipped except Olodumare.

In life, only one person is promoted to commandant over Orisha- the king. Only the king rises above others to answer to the name of Almighty God. They bear the same name as God. They are answerable only to God and stand as the physical representations of God on earth becoming “Alase Lori Orisha ” meaning ” Commandant over deities.”

Disappointedly, some kings in Yorubaland have reduced their position below their subjects, bearing and answering a lesser name as “Igbekeji Orisha” meaning “Deputy to deity”. When a general is answering to the name of a constable, is that not a shame of first-class grade?

Oluwo of Iwoland has brought a change to restore the natural glory of Yoruba Kingship. His radical approach is necessary to force the truth on adamant and complacent Yorubas. Ware teaching rigid students, a good teacher will not need to apply a soft method.

Yoruba kings will only have their respect when they serve as the true face of their institution. It is a monumental embarrassment when a king subject himself to the rules and the regulations of his subjects in a secret society. Deity worship is a religion and not the culture of the Yorubas. The deity worshippers have smarty lumped their practices to the rich Yoruba culture and traditions with the intention to promote their religion using kings. Kings have no religion except the direct worshipping of Olodumare (God Almighty).

Oluwo will continue to defend the institution and commit his throne only to Olodumare. He will never compromise and betray the real, original, and authentic owner of the stool (God). Earthly kings are not the real kings. Only God is the King. The palaces of earthly kings should be Houses of God on earth without idol worship. If, as a king, you still answerable tobdeputy over deities, you are a teacher placing himself under the tutelage of his students. Do not mess with Alase Lori Orisha because God is not deity.