Headline

Pendulum: Thank God, Our First Lady is Back Home

Published

6 years ago

October 19, 2019

Eric

By Dele Momodu

Fellow Nigerians, I have never hidden my admiration for our First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari. Although we met only once in London during those days of frenetic campaigning for Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) in 2014, I have followed her closely and therefore almost been in a position as if I know her well. Our meeting occurred when some Buharists had gathered at the Crown Plaza Hotel and Mrs Buhari, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, Mrs Toyin Saraki, Zahra Buhari, and many others came in to speak and cajole us about why Buhari should be our choice and enjoy our support. I greeted her and took some pictures with her very beautiful and amiable daughter. That was the closest I personally got to her, but I have followed her activities with keen interest.

Please, let me digress a bit before I return to Mrs Buhari. My job as a celebrity reporter had always given me access to women of power, fame and wealth, the way sugar attracts ants. Women like their male counterparts love to be written about and photographed, but the difference is they are not ashamed to flaunt this fact whilst the men typically display false humility even though they probably love it even more. Also, my background as a male feminist gave me an uncommon understanding of women issues. In 1988, I wrote my Master’s thesis on the oppression of women in African literature using the lenses of Egypt’s Nawal El Saadawi, Senegal’s Mariama Ba and Somalia’s Nuruddin Farah. What was more, I was solely nurtured by my Mum, after I lost my Dad in 1973.

I landed in Lagos in 1988 and was fortunate to find a job that exposed me to the rich and famous and the high and mighty. My first encounter with First Ladies was with Mrs Maryam Babangida. I wrote several stories on her and there were times I felt I will get into trouble with her because of that sneaky fear that wives of military dictators would most probably be dictatorial. But Mrs Babangida was classy, gorgeous and friendly. She was in the news most times for good reasons than bad ones. She employed very cerebral and intelligent staff. For example, her Spokesperson at a time was Greg Obong-Oshotse, who had bagged a First-Class degree in Political Science, from the University of Ife and had risen to the level of a star writer on the op ed page of Nigeria’s prestigious newspaper, The Guardian, and so on. I knew Greg from our university days at Ife and for this reason had great access to Mrs Babangida and stories concerning her. I got closer to her in London when she received The Hunger Project Award alongside Professor Wangari Mathai of Kenya (they are both of blessed memory). Again we spent ample time together in Monrovia during the inauguration ceremonies of Africa’s first female President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

I didn’t meet Mrs Maryam Abacha until after their departure from power. I was stunned when I got a call from Chief Abiola Ogundokun, who informed me the Abachas had extended an invitation to me to attend the simultaneous weddings of Zeynab and Gumsu Abacha. My initial reaction was, “how can, why me?”, after being forced into exile for three years by dear tough Dad. I consulted my close friends and more of them believed I should not display vindictiveness by snubbing them. “After-all Mandela forgave those who wasted 27 years of his adult life!” That really struck a chord in me. But the clincher was the one that said, “If Abacha had not chased you away, may be there would have been no Ovation!” Oh, my God, I soliloquised. Ovation International was God taking revenge on my behalf, positively.

I travelled to Kano, wow, Kano was still innocent then. I met Mrs Abacha, an incredibly beautiful woman. Then I met Zeynab and Gumsu and they are stunning younger versions of their mother. Radiant and ravishing brides to be. Oh yes, I met Rekiya too. And also, their handsome Brothers. Their Mum was too hospitable. It was as if the family was trying to atone for whatever injury they felt they had inflicted on me. But they need not have worried. My Christian faith had taken over. I read in the scriptures that I should forgive 70 times 7 times. Please, relax, I’m leading you somewhere. We covered the wpedding, gratis. It was our way of thanking God for making us victorious. But we got more than money. Nobody ever saw the indescribable “house of gold” Abacha built in pictures until Ovation published it. Not just that. No one ever saw the mausoleum in which General Sani Abacha was buried majestically, until Ovation Photographer, Ajayi Oyebo, sneaked to the back of the house, like a thief in the night and came back with an uncommon scoop. Mind you, that Edition sold out completely. And that story established us as true professionals who rose above personal squabbles to give the world a masterpiece and collector’s edition. Some vilified us, but many congratulated us for our professionalism and revelations.

Haaa, I miss the Mama Ovation herself, Mrs Stella Obasanjo. Our bond must have been from heaven. She liked Ovation so much and even advised me from time to time on how to improve content and form. I make bold to say Ovation International holds the copyright of her best portrait ever with her husband, President Olusegun Obasanjo. They were returning from a trip to Cuba and I got our audaciously brilliant Photographer, Dragan Mikki, to ambush them at their transit hotel in Gatwick Airport. Little did they realise who was behind the coup. Dragan suddenly blocked Baba as he was about strutting out of the hotel. Before he and his bodyguards could recover from the shock and readjust, Dragan had grabbed a chair and tucked Obasanjo into it like a baby. Dragan was barking orders at Baba and his lovely wife. Their spokesman, Dr Doyin Okupe looked bewildered, but Dragan had already succeeded in hypnotizing and mesmerizing the first couple. The pictures were awesome, and it fetched Dragan an invitation from Canterbury to Abuja and Lagos, where he covered the wedding of Gbenga Obasanjo. We also got the wedding of Kofo Obasanjo in London. Mrs Stella Obasanjo already contacted me about her impending 60th birthday celebration before she went on what would eventually become an eternal journey to Spain, never to return.

After Lady Stella came Mrs Turai Yar’Adua, very pleasant and a bit taciturn. Her husband tried his best for Nigeria, but his health meant that the country never got the best of him. I first met both at the wedding of their daughter to the Governor of Bauchi State, Issa Yuguda and Ovation produced a classic edition to mark the occasion. Everything seemed to be going right for them and the nation until she allowed the Aso Rock cabal of the time to take over the life of her fatally ill husband. It remains a mystery what they promised that got her to play along dangerously with them and practically subvert the Nigerian constitution until things fell apart and the centre could no longer hold. But I believe that unfortunate saga left her in the reclusive state she has found herself today.

Step forward Mama Peace, the unstoppable, the irrepressible, the indomitable, the inimitable Dame Dr Patience Jonathan. She provided her own drama and fanciful lexicon as far as First Ladies go. She really coveted and enjoyed power and could easily have been the de facto President, but she lost power eventually alongside her husband, a perfect gentleman. She remains one of the most controversial First Ladies. Despite having a few mutual friends, we did not meet until after her departure from office. It is unimaginable that the powerful Dame is quietly in this country, although she seems to have embarked on a strange ⁰mission in Bayelsa State by openly working against her Party. The lesson is, time is everything and nobody has absolute control of it. I hope she and others will learn from her experience.

I have gone through this long preamble to show my familiarity with First Ladies. We remember how some made their husbands while others marred theirs. A First Lady is never an accessory of a President but an integral part of the President. As the saying goes, “behind every successful man is a strong, powerful woman”. No President can be happy outside if he is unhappy at home. I think President Buhari started losing a lot of his esteem and popularity when he made that unfortunate statement that his wife belongs in the other room. He upset and antagonised a lot of women and their male supporters and admirers. A good leader must be good at public relations stunts. This was, to put it mildly, a public relations disaster and I am not sure the President has really recovered from it in the public estimation. It is not an act of valour or gallantry to put down your wife in public. Those who disrespected and continue to disrespect our First Lady did and do so because her husband dissed her first. I was always happy whenever I saw them and their children on the Presidential jet travelling abroad. They portrayed the vision of a happy, united and contented family.

The job of a President is too heavy and tedious and requires the support of your closest friends and family. Most hangers on will move on when it is all over and leave the leader to carry his cross alone. Those shouting Hosanna today will scream “crucify him” tomorrow. Lady Aisha’s only offence is her independent mindedness. Those profiting from her husband’s absenteeism and occasional derailments are behind the many difficulties she has faced in trying to be part of the government and give candid advice to her husband. Her detractors and enemies in the government realising her popularity and intelligence needed to separate her and her husband in order to have maximum grip on power. This she would not accept without a fight. It is the reason she has stridently cried for help and ensured that she airs her concerns in the public space.

The same way the Vice President is now being craftily set up to look so bad in the public eye, the First Lady’s own started in a jiffy. Nigeria is a special country where real time movies are staged permanently. Sometimes, I believe our Nollywood is child’s play compared to the reality drama and debacle that our politicians serve up on a daily basis. Thank God, Lady Aisha came back home speedily. Whatever led her to stay away and whatever made her to return, it is clear that she has been greatly missed. Those holding her husband hostage of sorts will now be uneasy. This certainly wasn’t the denouement they plotted. Another example of man proposing and God disposing. Like joke like joke, a wedding may truly happen, by fire by force, but that is immaterial for now. I must confess though that I have learnt not to take anything for granted or to dismiss anything as ludicrous in our country.

Now that she’s back, she should map out an action plan. Her enemies may have retreated, but they are likely to strike again. Those who eye power as they do will not relent merely on account of a simple setback. All she needs is to keep herself busy and pamper her husband more. One of the reasons I will forever love, and support Hilary Clinton is the way she stoutly stood by her man as he was buffeted and savaged by the Monica Lewinsky affair. She was rewarded many times over by this singular feat. Loyalty will always be repaid and both Hilary and Bill Clinton were the winners. I beseech Mrs Buhari to learn from such an experience. Only the President and the First Lady will benefit from such an approach. It will give instant headache, nay migraine to the stupefied foes. I’m happy about the synergy between Lady Aisha and wife of the Vice President, Lady Dolapo Osinbajo. That combination is lethal and they need each other.

Before their very eyes, the years will fly away at supersonic speed. Lady Aisha needs to worry about their Legacy. Walahi, Baba needs all the help he can get because the situation right now is dire, but there is nothing stopping him from achieving those heydays if he listens to the counsel of his obviously smart and cosmopolitan wife. When tomorrow comes, everyone will vamoose, but Lady Aisha and her children have nowhere to go. They must remain steadfast now! As Margaret Thatcher said on another occasion, “the Lady’s not for turning”!

Thank God she’s back to re-energise Baba. They will be in our thoughts and prayers as we all pray for their success and, by implication, our success.

Headline

Rivers Crisis: The Taming of Sim Fubara

Published

3 days ago

May 13, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Listening to the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, on matters arising over his suspension and possible reinstatement, one is bound to conclude that the embattled governor, who fell under the hammer of executive emergency declaration, either buckled to pressure from high places, or have compromised his hard stand as a no-nonsense people-oriented governor. In all, it is believed that Fubara has been categorically tamed; a situation profoundly compared to William Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’.

The Rivers State scenario typically adapted the characterisation of the Shakespeare’s classic, where the character, Christopher Sly, was roundly pranked by a mischievous nobleman to mistakenly believe that he too was of nobility. Alas, it was a ploy to tame his ego, distract him from what he cherished most.

Fubara, at the service of songs held in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital, in honour of late Edwin Clark, elder statesman and the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), not only disclosed that his heart is no longer in the governorship job from which he was suspended almost two months ago, but lambasted his supporters and followers for adopting the ‘oshogbe’ approach in fighting for his cause.

Fubara, in a tone, that betrayed his earlier tough stand, said he is not desperate to return to office nearly two months after President Bola Tinubu declared emergency rule in the state.

“Have you asked yourself, do you think I’m interested in going back there? I want to ask you—don’t you see how much better I’m doing?” Fubara asked the audience at the service of songs.

“Do you think I’m interested in going back there? If I had my way, I would say this is it. This is the will of God. I don’t wish to go back there. My spirit has left that place,” he added, much to the surprise of a divided in opinion audience.

Fubara was not only basking in the euphoria of a deceived commoner, but also wore the garb of Katherina, the unwilling participant, who was tamed by his would-be groom with various psychological torments, including refusing food and drink until she becomes an obedient, desirable and compliant bride.

This typifies the beginning of the relationship between Fubara and his erstwhile benefactor, Wike, who went the whole yard, proving the not available nobility of the then chief accountant, denying him the appurtenaces of the office of Governor till he can become what they want of him. And like Katherina to Petruchio in Shakespeare’s classic, the Rivers governor has completely turned around, jettisoned his supposed shrewness to become a loyalist, who is now at the beck and call of the master. If his masters say a man is a woman, or the sun is the moon, the tamed subject will willingly agree, and without rancour. His actions and utterances have to a great extent proved his tamed status.

Fubara’s remark was in response to several tributes by members of the Rivers Elders Forum, who referred to him as “governor” and condemned his suspension.

Unlike the Fubara before the March 18 suspension by President Bola Tinubu, the governor dissociated himself from those statements, describing them as personal views not aligned with his approach.

He said such comments were unlikely to support peace in the state.

The governor also expressed concerns that actions taken by some of his backers had, in fact, worsened the crisis.

He asked the audience to focus their reflections on Clark’s life and legacy, rather than turning the event into a political protest.

It would be recalled that Fubara’s alleged change of heart in the heated crises that have seen him become estranged with his political godfather and immediate past governor of Rivers State, who is presently the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, became visible after his supposed meeting with Tinubu in London. Though the outcome of the meeting is yet unknown, recent actions and utterances of the governor tends to prove that a sort of compromise, which may seem detrimental to his political future, was arrived at. He was quoted shortly after arriving Nigeria from London, as saying that Tinubu should be supported.

Wike, with whom he has been at loggerheads over leadership of party structure in the state for over 18 months, confirmed during a media chat on Monday, that the embattled governor visited his Abuja residence, with two other governors, to plea for peace and understanding.

Recall also that Fubara and Wike have been locked in a bitter political standoff since late 2023. This created a dichotomy in the leadership loyalty with Wike controlling the members of the House of Assembly, except for four of them, while Fubara controlled the executive. Both arms of government have not been able to see eye to eye until the eventual emergency rule declaration. While the Assembly sought to impeach the governor, the governor and his team were bent on kicking the Assembly members out, leaning on their well celebrated decamping to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The members later denied defecting.

On Friday, February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court made landmark pronouncements that placed Governor Fubara on the receiving end, and giving Wike and his supporters victory in what seem to be a foreclosure in the game of throne that paralysed the political and administrative existence of the state since inauguration in 2023.

Not only did the court nullified all the structures that sustained Fubara’s administration, it lambasted the governor, thoroughly reducing him to a laughing stock among Wike and his followers, berating him for breaking down the Rivers State House of Assembly building as a way to stop the defected 27 lawmakers from sitting, thereby forcing them to sit outside to carry out their lawful activities.

The justices said it is a regular occurrence for those in executive power who feel threatened that their seat is being taken or is about to be impeached to resort to actions like demolishing buildings and other acts of bigamy.

THE ROAD TO PEACE

Fubara, seeming to have lost following the Supreme Court judgment, started exploring every option to ensure peace so that his impeachment is never put on the table. As a result, putting aside the disgrace of being locked out of the assembly quarters, the governor promised to re-present the budget in fulfillment of the Supreme Court order, choosing Wednesday March 19, 2025, or any other date in March, the lawmakers might choose. But the President preempted the move with an emergency rule.

Rivers State has been at the centre of a deepening political feud between Fubara and his predecessor and political godfather, Nyesom Wike.

Following the political situation in the state, President Bola Tinubu intervened in December 2023, brokering a peace deal between both sides.

However, on March 18, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers and suspended Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all the state lawmakers, temporarily bringing the tension in the state to an end

The President also appointed a retired naval chief, Ibok-Ete Ibas, as the sole administrator of the oil-rich state.

The move effectively dissolved the existing government structure, placing the state under federal control.

The 11 Peoples Democratic Party governors had filed a suit at the Supreme Court in protest, to challenge the President’s action; a move the National Assembly challenged, urging the court to dismiss the suit filed by the PDP governors.

The National Assembly also contended that the suit was procedurally flawed and lacked merit, while further arguing that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit and should award N1 billion in costs against the plaintiffs for filing what it termed a frivolous and speculative suit.

The suit is yet to be determined.

Fubara remains in limbo, but seems to have chosen the path that would give him a soft political landing. Every finger points to the fact that he may have compromised his mandate, pushing his fighting supporters to stop the criticisms against Tinubu and Wike as well as insinuating that he was fed with the governorship mandate.

It has also been alleged that even if Fubara is restored to complete his term, he may not be allowed to seek another term. This could be the premise on which the suspended governor is speaking from the other side of the mouth.

When Shakespeare wrote The Taming of the Shrew many centuries ago, exactly between 1590 – 1592, the Wike/Fubara was not in the equation, but today, the plot typifies the present day Rivers State where the incumbent governor has been tamed to speak everything good of his tormentors.

It is still not known, however, if Fubara will make good his threat not to return to office, but it has become obvious that he is now willing to dance to the tune of he that pays the piper.

Headline

Behold the First Ever American Pope, Robert Francis Prevost

Published

7 days ago

May 9, 2025

Eric

Robert Francis Prevost, the first pope from the United States, has a history of missionary work in Peru but also a keen grasp of the inner workings of the Church.

The new Leo XIV, a Chicago native, was entrusted by his predecessor Francis, to head the powerful Dicastery for Bishops, charged with advising the pontiff on new bishop appointments.

The sign of confidence from Francis speaks to Prevost’s commitment as a missionary in Peru to the “peripheries” – overlooked areas far from Rome prioritised by Francis – and his reputation as a bridge-builder and moderate within the Curia.

The 69-year-old Archbishop-Bishop emeritus of Chiclayo, Peru, was made a cardinal by Francis in 2023 after being named Prefect of the Dicastery, one of the Vatican’s most important departments — and a post that introduced him to all key players in the Church.

Vatican watchers had given Prevost the highest chances among the group of US cardinals of being pope, given his pastoral bent, global view and ability to navigate the central bureaucracy.

Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, called him “the least American of the Americans” for his soft-spoken touch.

His strong grounding in canon law has also been seen as reassuring to more conservative cardinals seeking a greater focus on Theology.

Following Francis’s death, Prevost said there was “still so much to do” in the work of the Church.

“We can’t stop, we can’t turn back. We have to see how the Holy Spirit wants the Church to be today and tomorrow, because today’s world, in which the Church lives, is not the same as the world of ten or 20 years ago,” he told Vatican News last month.

“The message is always the same: proclaim Jesus Christ, proclaim the Gospel, but the way to reach today’s people, young people, the poor, politicians, is different,” he said.

Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Prevost attended a Minor Seminary of the Order of St Augustine in St Louis as a novice before graduating from Philadelphia’s Villanova University, an Augustinian institution, with a degree in Mathematics.

After receiving a masters degree in divinity from Chicago’s Catholic Theological Union in 1982, and a doctorate decree in canon law in Rome, the polyglot joined the Augustinians in Peru in 1985 for the first of his decade-long missions in that country.

Returning to Chicago in 1999, he was made provincial prior of the Augustinians in the US Midwest and later the prior general of the order throughout the world.

But he returned to Peru in 2014 when Francis appointed him as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo in the country’s north.

Nearly a decade later, Prevost’s appointment in 2023 as head of the Dicastery came after Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet was accused of sexually assaulting a woman and resigned for age reasons.

The Vatican later dropped the case against Ouellet for insufficient evidence.

Prevost also serves as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Headline

Remembering Ife’s 50th Ooni, Oba Sijuwade Okunade

Published

1 week ago

May 6, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

10 years after the death of one of the most cosmopolitan monarchs Nigeria has produced, His Imperial Majesty Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II CFR, family, friends and the traditional institutions are gearing up for a mother of all remembrance and memorial ceremony. Oba Okunade Sijuwade is the 50th Oni of Ife.

On Tuesday, at the elaborate Civic Centre, in the heart of Victoria Island, stakeholders and people of interest, gathered to inform the public through the media, veritable steps being taken to honour the progeny of Oduduwa and until his death in 2015, the prime custodian of the Yoruba tradition.

According to the invitation to the media briefing, organizers noted that the events are being held in conjunction with the National Council of Traditional Rulers under the Chairmanship of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, Ooni of Ife CFR and His Eminence Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto CFR.

In his address, the Curator and Consultant for the 10th year Memorial Celebration of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II, Dr. Oludamola Adebowale, described the event as a decade of legacy, while noting as follows:

“A Decade of Legacy: 10th Year Memorial Celebration of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II.

“At a press briefing held at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos, the family of the late Ooni of ile-Ife, His Imperial Majesty Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II, unveiled a series of cultural, intellectual, and commemorative events marking the 10th anniversary of the revered monarch’s passing. The Programme is a tribute to his enduring legacy as a custodian of culture, a bridge-builder across Nigeria, and a global advocate for African heritage.

“Organized in partnership with the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, the memorial activities are spearheaded by the Co-chairmen of the Council, Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, alongside His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, the Sultan of Sokoto.

“A key highlight is a Three-State Inter-School Debate Tour featuring students from King’s College, Lagos; Abeokuta Grammar School; Oba Sijuwade’s alma mater; and Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife. The theme, “Traditional Governance vs. Modern Democracy: Which Best Preserves Cultural Heritage?’ invites students to explore the relevance of indigenous leadership in today’s world. The final debate presentation will be held on July 25, 2025.

“Another major feature is the Grand Memorial Exhibition, showcasing rare photographs, personal items, and archival materials from Oba Sijuwade’s life and reign—many being displayed publicly for the first time. The exhibition features collections from the National Archives of Nigeria, the UK National Archives, Horniman Museum & Gardens (UK), and the African American Research Library and Cultural Center (Florida), home of the Dr. Niara Sudarkasa Collection and also the Sijuwade Personal Collection.

“The exhibition is curated by renowned cultural historian and archivist Dr. Oludamola ADEBOWALE.

“A national symposium titled “Unifying and Securing Nigeria’s Future Through Traditional Institutions” will gather traditional rulers, scholars, and policymakers to examine the evolving role of indigenous leadership in peacebuilding, national identity, and governance.

“The grand finale of the memorial will take place in Ile-Ife, the cradle of Yoruba civilization. It includes a church thanksgiving service and solemn prayers at the late Ooni’s mausoleum—concluding the memorial in dignity and grandeur.

“Looking ahead, the Sijuwade family announced a series of legacy projects, including:

– A Nubian Jak Blue Plaque at his former London residence, recognizing his global impact in cultural diplomacy.

– The launch of a commemorative book detailing his life, leadership, and international engagements.

– The development of the Oba Okunade Sijuwade Memorial Hall and Museum in Ile-Ife to preserve his legacy and Yoruba heritage.

“This far-reaching initiative reflects the far-sighted vision of Oba Okunade Sijuwade—an imperial figure whose reign was defined by grace, wisdom, and an unwavering commitment to cultural excellence. These legacy projects are not only tributes to his memory but enduring pillars that will continue to inspire future generations in Nigeria, across Africa, and throughout the global diaspora. Through them, the timeless values he embodied—dignity, unity, heritage, and leadership—will live on, shaping a future deeply rooted in the strength of tradition and the promise of progress.

OBA OKUNADE SIJUWADE (1930 – 2015)

According to accounts obtained from Wikipedia, the life and times of Oba Sijuwade is captured as follows:

Born January 1, 1930, Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade CFR, was the 50th traditional ruler (or Ooni) of Ife from December 6, 1980 to his death on July 28, 2015. He reigned for 35 influential years, taking the regnal name Olubuse II. His installation ceremony was attended by the Emir of Kano, Oba of Benin, Amayanabo of Opobo and Olu of Warri, as well as by representatives of the Queen of the United Kingdom.

Sijuwade was born to the ruling House of Sijuwade which is a fraction of the Ogboru ruling house, Ilare, Ile-Ife. His paternal grandfather was Ooni Adelekan Sijuwade – Olubuse I the 46th Ooni of Ife who ruled from 1884 – 1910. While his father was Omo-Oba Adereti Sijuade (1895 – 11 May 1949) and his mother was, Yeyeolori Emilia Ifasesin Sijuwade (nee Osukoti Adugbolu), from the town of Akure. He was a Christian and in November 2009 he attended the annual general meeting of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria accompanied by 17 other traditional rulers. He declared that he was a full member of the church and said all the monarchs who accompanied him would now become members. At his birthday celebration two months later, the Primate of the Anglican Communion described Sijuwade as “a humble monarch, who has the fear of God at heart”.

Oba Okunade Sijuwade or Prince Okunade Sijuwade as he was then called started his elementary education at Igbedin School, Abeokuta from where he proceeded to Abeokuta Grammar School under the governance of the well-known educationalist Reverend I O Ransome-Kuti, who was the principal of the school. Upon leaving Abeokuta Grammar School, Oba Okunade Sijuwade transferred to Oduduwa College in Ile-Ife before attending Northampton Technical College in the United Kingdom to study business management.

He worked for three years in his father’s business, then for two years with the Nigerian Tribune, first as a reporter then a sales executive before going to university.

By the age of 30, he was a manager in A.G Leventis, a Greek-Nigerian conglomerate. In 1963 he became Sales Director of the state-owned National Motors in Lagos. After spotting a business opportunity during a 1964 visit to the Soviet Union, he formed WAATECO a company to distribute Soviet-built vehicles and equipment in Nigeria, which became the nucleus of a widespread business empire. He also invested in real estate in his hometown of Ile Ife. By the time Sijuwade was crowned Ooni in 1980 he was already a wealthy man.

Shortly after becoming the 50th Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade founded Sijuwade Group, which he was the chairman of. The conglomerate operates in several sectors including oil and gas, infrastructure, real estate, industrials, and hospitality. The company holds partnerships with several multinational companies such as Centrica, Equinor (formerly Statoil), CCC, Eser and RCC (Reynolds Construction Company) and has executed over $2 billion worth of contracts and projects in Nigeria.

When Sijuwade became Ooni of Ife in December 1980, he inherited an ongoing dispute over supremacy between the obas of Yorubaland. In 1967 a crisis had been resolved when Chief Obafemi Awolowo was chosen as the leader of the Yoruba. In 1976 the Governor of Oyo State, General David Jemibewon, had decreed that the Ooni of Ife would be the permanent chairman of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs. Other Obas led by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi said the position should rotate. The dispute calmed down when Osun State was carved out of Oyo State in August 1991, but ill will persisted.

Towards the end of 2009 a more local dispute between the Ooni, the Awujale of Ijebuland and the Alake of Egbaland was finally resolved. Sijuwade traced the dispute back to a falling out between Obafemi Awolowo and Ladoke Akintola during the Nigerian First Republic, which had led to a division between the traditional rulers.

In February 2009, Sijuwade helped mediate in a dispute over land ownership between the communities of Ife and Modakeke, resolved in part through the elevation of the Ogunsua of Modakeke as an Oba. The new Oba, Francis Adedoyin, would be under the headship of Oba Okunade Sijuwade.

Oba Okunade Sijuwade had 4 wives and 20 children in total. His wives were:

Yeyeluwa Oyetunde Sijuwade, Oba Okunade Sijuwade’s first wife and the first Yeyeluwa of Ife. She was the mother to Prince Adetokunbo Sijuwade.
Olori Morisola Sijuwade, Oba Okunade Sijuwade’s second wife and the second Yeyeluwa of Ife from 1986 after Yeyeluwa Oyetunde Sijuwade’s death.
Olori Oladunni Sijuwade, Oba Okunade Sijuwade’s third wife and the daughter of the very popular politician Chief Adedamola Harold-Sodipo.
Olori Odunola Sijuwade, a princess of Ila-Orangun and the daughter of the revered Ila-Orangun, Oba William Ayeni.

According to Forbes Oba Okunade Sijuwade was the third Richest King in Africa. He also owned several residentials properties in Nigeria and the United Kingdom including Chester Terrace, Grosvenor Square, and a country home in Burnham, Buckinghamshire. In the 80’s, shortly after Oba Okunade Sijuwade became the Ooni of Ife, he visited President Rajiv Gandhi of India and King Fahd Al Saud of Saudi Arabia at the invitation of both countries to foster friendly relations between them and Nigeria. Few years later as Ooni, he visited Japan to meet Emperor Akihito along with Emir Ado Bayero of Kano.

Activities are expected to kick off in mid June 2025, and terminate late July, 2025.