President Bola Tinubu on Sunday said the blessings of the late Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Adetona, were instrumental to his emergence as president in 2023.
Tinubu stated this when he joined family members and other distinguished personalities on the 8th day of Fidau prayers for the late monarch.
At the event, Tinubu referred to the late Awujale as a moral compass, emphasising that his leadership significantly contributed to the socio-economic and political growth of Yoruba land and Nigeria as a whole.
He remembered with nostalgia the roles played by the late monarch in the revalidation of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election won by the late business mogul Moshood Abiola.
“Baba was steadfast, he was resolute, he was very encouraging. We’ve named institutions after him, and his legacy will endure. It is left for you and me to reflect the culture that he represented,” he said. Our history would not have been completed carefully and richly if I had failed the last election. I was successful because of the support and the blessing of the late Awujale.
“I came to him and he blessed me and he said you will win that election. I am extremely proud of him; he was always there at that time of need for all of us,” he added. The president called on the sons and daughters of Ijebuland and the country as a whole to be more united and bonded in the spirit that the late Awujale of Ijebuland left behind.
Tinubu thanked the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, for caring for the late Awujale, whom he described as a father and leader of conscience, tradition and great value. Earlier in his message, Abiodun noted that the late Awujale was more than a monarch but the voice of the voiceless, a revered patriarch whose legacies will echo through time.
“Baba was a man of exceptional intellect and also rare integrity. Even before ascending the throne, his brilliance and forthright nature shone brightly,” he said. He redefined traditional leadership, transforming the Awujale institution into a dynamic platform for good governance, national dialogue and moral leadership.
“Under his watchful gaze and his special leadership, Ijebuland witnessed unprecedented progress. He became the bridge between our cherished past and our future.
“Kabiyesi upheld the dignity of Ijebu culture while championing modern values. He was a custodian of tradition and simultaneously a goal defender, his reign brought peace, prosperity and prestige to our land and earned him respect across the globe,” he said.
The event held at the Dipo Dina Stadium in Ijebu Ode was attended by serving and former governors, members of the Federal Executive Council, members of the National Assembly, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and captains of industry, among others.