President Tinubu reflected on the personal loss he felt with the deaths of both men in a somber message shared via his verified X handle. He described them as people he held in the “highest esteem.” He added, “Last Sunday, within hours, I lost two men I held in the highest esteem: Kabiyesi, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona Ogbagba II, the Awujale of Ijebuland, who joined his ancestors after more than 65 remarkable years on the throne, and my dear predecessor, President Muhammadu Buhari.”
Oba Adetona is more than just a regal figure, the president said, adding that he was in Ijebu-Ode for the monarch’s eighth-day Fidau prayers.
To me, Kabiyesi was more than just a father figure. According to Tinubu, he was a confidant, a mentor, and a man of truth whose insight always reassured people who sought it.
He also commended the late king’s legacy of integrity and service, emphasizing his exceptional leadership abilities and everlasting commitment to his subjects.
“He ruled with uncommon dignity, candor, and courage in more than 60 years on the throne, always putting the people first with an unmistakable sense of duty,” the President continued.
Tinubu recognized the significant effect that Oba Adetona’s passing had on Nigeria’s traditional institutions, particularly in Yorubaland.
The passing of Oba Adetona has created a huge vacuum in Yorubaland’s and Nigeria’s traditional institutions. “His generosity, leadership, and voice will reverberate well beyond Ijebuland,” he remarked.
“May Almighty Allah grant him Aljannah Firdaus and comfort all who mourn him,” the president said as he wrapped up his homage.
One of Nigeria’s longest-serving traditional leaders and a highly esteemed figure in the nation’s sociopolitical history, Oba Adetona ruled for more than 65 years.
