Oba Ewuare II has spoken, and once again he has reminded everyone that Benin is not a playground for political titles or imported traditions. The monarch made it clear that the so-called Iyaloja title has no place in Benin markets. Instead, it is the Iyeki, the palace-recognized leader of every market, who holds authority, not because of politics, but because of culture and sacred tradition.
An Attempt to Violate Benin Culture
President Bola Tinubu’s daughter, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, carried herself to the palace to announce that she was in Edo to install an Iyaloja for all markets in the state. That alone shows disrespect. Why would she even think of forcing a Yoruba cultural system on Benin markets that already have their sacred structure? Does she not know the sanctity of Benin culture? The palace is not a place where political children come to play dress-up with our customs.
Oba Ewuare Stood His Ground
The Oba told her plainly: “Iyaloja is alien to us here in Benin. In Benin, you are in the home of culture, we have our culture here.” He went further to remind her that every Iyeki is not just a trader’s head but a cultural figure tied to the palace, performing roles in shrines inside each market. These roles are spiritual, ancestral, and cultural. They cannot be replaced by a foreign title invented somewhere else. The Oba did not shout, yet his words carried the weight of history: Benin does not bend for outside influence.
A Shame on President Tinubu
This whole embarrassment is not just on Folashade Tinubu-Ojo. It reflects on her father, President Tinubu. What kind of shame is this, that the president’s daughter moves around violating other people’s cultures as if Nigeria is Lagos alone? Edo State is not an extension of Yoruba land, and Benin Kingdom is not waiting for outsiders to dictate who leads its markets. President Tinubu should call his daughter to order, because this overstepping insults not just the Oba, but the entire Benin people.
Folashade Owes Edo People an Apology
Folashade Tinubu-Ojo should not only leave Benin traditions alone, she owes the people of Edo and the Oba a public apology. To walk into the palace with the audacity to impose an Iyaloja is a slap on the ancestors and a disregard for the sacred customs that have lasted centuries. She cannot claim ignorance, she was told directly that Iyeki is the market leader, chosen by the traders and confirmed by the palace. If she has any respect, she should drop the arrogance and apologise openly.
Commending the Oba
The courage of Oba Ewuare II deserves praise. In a time when many traditional rulers bend to political influence, he stood firm and defended culture against political invasion. He showed that the Benin Kingdom is not for sale, not for manipulation, and not for distortion. The Iyeki system is older than any title Tinubu’s daughter may parade, and it will remain long after today’s politics fades.
Benin Culture Is Not for Export or Substitution
This matter should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks Edo traditions can be twisted to fit outside influence. The Iyaloja system belongs to the Yoruba people; it is theirs to protect. But it has no place in Benin. In Benin, it is Iyeki, rooted in the palace, tied to shrines, and answerable only to the Oba. That is how it has always been, and that is how it will remain.
In the end, Oba Ewuare II has reminded the nation that Benin is not a land that forgets itself. Edo people know who they are, and no borrowed title or political stunt can erase that truth.
