ALAAFIN Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1 : Royal Lamb with a Lion’s Heart (3)

" Alaafin Owoade  does not  seek personal glory or recognition but is more invested in elevating those around him. He  rules not from the front with a loud, authoritative voice, but from within, empowering his people to grow and succeed. And yet, underneath this soft, empathetic exterior lies the heart of a lion—brave, bold, and unafraid of challenges. The strength of a lion is used not to intimidate but to inspire. Alaafin Owoade's courage comes from a place of deep belief in his mission and a desire to protect and guide his people through adversity".

By Bode Durojaiye, Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Paramount Ruler of Oyo Kingdom and Superior Head of Yorubaland. 

Leadership is often associated with boldness, power, and control—qualities embodied by the lion, the king of the jungle. On the other hand, the lamb conjures images of gentleness, vulnerability, and submission. 

But what happens when a leader embodies both? When humility meets courage, and empathy stands beside authority, a unique leadership style emerges—a lamb with a lion’s heart. This paradoxical combination is a quiet but formidable force, reshaping the way we think about leadership in today’s world.

The Lamb: Quiet, Empathetic, and Grounded

The Alaafin, Paramount Ruler of Oyo Kingdom and the Superior Head of Yorubaland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1, is from all intents and purposes a lamb-like Monarch who doesn’t immediately command attention with his presence or bark orders with an iron fist. 

Instead, he listens, observes, and understands. 

In a world often filled with noise and ego, this quiet style stands out for its rare, understated power.

 Alaafin Owoade creates an environment where his people feel seen and heard—where every voice matters, and no one is just a cog in the wheel.

What makes the Royal  lamb powerful is its empathy. Iku Baba Yeye doesn’t rush to judge or demand results at the expense of people’s well-being. Instead, he fosters collaboration, trust, and an inclusive culture where innovation thrives.

 He is not afraid to share ideas, admit mistakes, or challenge the status quo, because he knows his rulership has his back.

In many ways, a lamb-like Monarch embodies servant leadership. His primary goal is to support and uplift his people, helping others shine.

He does not  seek personal glory or recognition but is more invested in elevating those around them. He  rules not from the front with a loud, authoritative voice, but from within, empowering his people to grow and succeed. And yet, underneath this soft, empathetic exterior lies the heart of a lion—brave, bold, and unafraid of challenges.

 Oba Owoade is very decisive, courageous and visionary.

At first glance, a lion-like Royal Father may seem like the complete opposite of a lamb. Lions are often seen as fierce, powerful, and relentless. They make bold decisions, take risks, and assert their dominance in times of uncertainty. Yet, in the metaphor of a lamb with a lion’s heart, these two qualities don’t conflict—they complement each other.

A Paramount Ruler  with a lion’s heart knows when to be decisive. He understands that while empathy and understanding are vital, there are moments when his people needs direction, clarity, and unwavering courage. 

Alaafin Owoade is not afraid to make the tough calls, take bold risks, or confront uncomfortable truths. In times of crisis, he  steps up and lead with conviction, ensuring that the people doesn’t waver or lose sight of the goal.

But here’s the key difference: the lion-like courage of Iku Baba Yeye is not driven by ego or a desire for power. It’s driven by purpose. His roar is not about asserting dominance or control but about rallying his people toward a common vision. 

The strength of a lion is used not to intimidate but to inspire. Alaafin Owoade's courage comes from a place of deep belief in his mission and a desire to protect and guide his people through adversity.

Iku Baba Yeye is a lion-hearted Royal Father who embodies fearless, strategic, and protective authority, driving his people with unwavering confidence and purpose.

His key traits include immense courage, strategic vision, decisive action in crises, and a nurturing, protective, and empowering nature towards his "pride" (people).

 He is self-reliant, resilient, and command respect rather than demanding it.

Alaafin Owoade tackles challenges head-on, walking through storms rather than fleeing them. He is brave enough to make dramatic changes and pursue unconventional paths. He makes firm, calculated, and timely decisions, especially during uncertain times.

To be continued........

ONA-AKA IN THE YORUBA TRADITIONAL SYSTEM : A PILLAR OF OYO ROYAL HERITAGE

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In Yoruba traditional governance, titles are not casual labels; they are repositories of history, authority, and sacred responsibility. Within the Oyo royal heritage, few stools have been as persistently misunderstood as that of the Ona-Aka. According to authentic Oyo tradition, the Ona-Aka of Oyo is not merely a local functionary or peripheral chief. Rather, the Ona-Aka is a principal royal figure whose stool is deeply rooted in, and inseparable from, the institution of the Alaafin of Oyo. To understand this is to appreciate the sophistication of the Oyo political system and the care with which it balanced lineage, power, and spirituality.

The Oyo Empire was governed by a clearly defined constitutional order in which every office had meaning and limits. Kingship was sacred, but it was also structured. Titles emerged from lineage, ritual necessity, and historical experience, not from administrative convenience. It is within this carefully calibrated system that the Ona-Aka must be situated.

Historically, the Ona-Aka is known as Bàbá Àgbà Ajaka, a direct biological son of Alaafin Oluaso, the seventh Alaafin of Oyo and the longest-reigning monarch in Oyo history. It is popular among historians that Alaafin Oluaso had over a hundred children, with 27 taking principal roles in the administration of the empire. This ancestry establishes the Ona-Aka as royalty in the strictest sense.

Alongside Ona-Ishokun and Ona-Omo-Nla, the Ona-Aka constitutes one of the three major principal royal lineages of Oyo-Alaafin. These three lineages together form the Bàbá-Ọba, translated as the Fathers of the King. This institution is one of the most distinctive features of the Oyo traditional system.

In Oyo tradition, a reigning Alaafin must not have a living biological father. The rationale is both political and spiritual: the king must stand alone as the supreme authority and symbolic embodiment of the state. Alaafin is seen, not as a king but as a god! To resolve this, Oyo created the Bàbá-Ọba, official fathers who provide moral guidance, ritual legitimacy, and ancestral continuity to the Alaafin. The Ona-Aka, as one of these fathers, occupies a role that is constitutional.

Beyond the Bàbá-Ọba, the Oyo royal system also recognises the Ọmọ-Ọba class, regarded as the official royal brothers of the Crown. While the Bàbá-Ọba are three in number, the Ọmọ-Ọba are six: Baba Iyaji, Atingisi, Agunpopo, Olusami, Arole-Oba, and Arole-Iya-Oba.

What is critical to understand is that both groups, the Bàbá-Ọba and the Ọmọ-Ọba, belong to one extended royal family. Historically and traditionally, they are blood relations of the Alaafin. As a result, intermarriage among them is strictly prohibited. This prohibition reinforces their shared ancestry and preserves the sanctity of the royal line.

Members of these royal families bear names that are peculiar to Oyo-Alaafin royalty; names such as Afonja, Ogboja, Agboin, Sanda, Tella, Akee, Ogoo, etc. These names function as historical markers, linking present generations to the founding lineages of Oyo. The Ona-Aka stool exists firmly within this royal framework.

The Ona-Aka stool is a significant and ancient institution within the Oyo royal family. From its inception, it has been an integral part of the Alaafin institution. It is not an appendage to kingship but one of its sustaining pillars. The relationship between the Alaafin and the Ona-Aka is not episodic; it is structural and enduring.

Among the three Bàbá-Ọba, the Ona-Aka is the eldest. This seniority carries both symbolic and practical significance. The Ona-Aka serves as the chief custodian of Òrì, the Yoruba deity of destiny. In Yoruba cosmology, Òrì represents an individual’s fate and spiritual essence. That the king’s destiny is ritually entrusted to the Ona-Aka underscores the spiritual authority of the stool.

While the Ona-Aka holds seniority, the Ona-Ishokun is next, often regarded today as the most prominent among the trio, largely because the Ona-Ishokun lineage descends directly from Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu, one of Oyo’s most celebrated rulers. This balance is expressed in the traditional saying:

“Ona-Aka Baba Ishokun, Ona-Ishokun Baba Oba.”

The proverb affirms hierarchy, lineage, and interdependence within the royal system.

The progenitor of the Ona-Aka lineage in present-day Oyo was Kibitiola of Oyo-Ile, who became the first Ona-Aka in this era. He served alongside Alaafin Atiba Adewimbi Olujide Atobatele, playing the role of a royal elder during the rebuilding of Oyo-Atiba after the collapse of Old Oyo. The fall of Oyo-Ile, the capital of the Yorubas was not because it was overrun by Fulani marauders, but people left the city in fear of reprisal attack after the death of Alaafin Oluweu in war. Oyo’s scattered across, formed new cities/towns/villages across Yorubaland.

Kibitiola was succeeded by his son, Ogunjinmi Aleyo, the second Ona-Aka in Oyo-Atiba. Ogunjinmi Aleyo was renowned for wisdom, restraint, and courage. His role in safeguarding the sacred throne of the Alaafin during the Ijaiye War remains a defining chapter in Oyo history. Such responsibility was entrusted to him because of his position as a royal father, not as a subordinate chief.

The third Ona-Aka, Okesina, further exemplifies the stool’s centrality. In his role as custodian of Òrì, he bestowed the name Orimadegun on Alaafin Bello Gbadegesin Oladigbolu II. Historical accounts also record that Alaafin Oladigbolu II spent his formative years in the Ona-Aka Agunpopo royal court, under Okesina’s guardianship and mentorship. This level of intimacy reflects a relationship of fatherhood, not hierarchy.

One of the most telling traditions underscoring the Ona-Aka’s status concerns marriage. When an Ona-Aka joins his ancestors, custom dictates that the reigning Alaafin should marry one of his widows. This practice reinforces continuity between the stools and affirms their shared royal essence.

Thus, following the death of Adeyanju, the fourth Ona-Aka in Oyo-Atiba, Alaafin Siyanbola Adegboyega Akanbi Oladigbolu married Adewoyin, one of Adeyanju’s widows and the mother of Okediji, as a queen. Such a tradition would be inconceivable if the Ona-Aka were not firmly embedded within the royal institution.

In Oyo’s palace, governance is shared between the king, senior chiefs, and the royal women, especially the Ayaba. Other palace chiefs such as the Ilari and Emese served as royal messengers, administrators, and enforcers of palace decisions, ensuring communication between the Alaafin and the wider kingdom .

There are many important offices for women, the Iya Ile Ori, Iya Ile Agbo, Iya Mode, Iya Kere, Iya’le Oduduwa, Iya Ode, Eni Oja, etc. The Ayabas, particularly the senior queen (Iyale), played an important political and ceremonial role. She managed the inner palace, supervised royal wives and attendants, and acted as a trusted confidant of the Alaafin. In some cases, the Ayaba influenced political decisions through counsel and palace networks, reflecting the significant though subtle power of royal women in Oyo governance. 

The Ona-Aka stool is therefore historically, traditionally, and institutionally inseparable from the Alaafin of Oyo. It is a cornerstone of the Yoruba traditional system as practised in Oyo, embodying lineage, spiritual authority, and constitutional responsibility. To understand the Ona-Aka is to understand the depth and sophistication of Oyo’s royal heritage, and to preserve it accurately for generations yet to come.

Written by: 

Prince Afolabi Aderemi, an Oyo prince of the Tella Gbaagi Olufunu Agunloye ruling house and a diaspora leader based in Lisbon, Portugal.

Alaafin harps on imperative of religious conventions, says unity is greatest strength, asset of any society

Alaafin harps on imperative of religious conventions, says unity is greatest strength, asset of any society 

The Alaafin , Paramount Ruler of Oyo Kingdom and the Superior Head of Yorubaland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1, has said that unity remains one of the greatest strength and asset of the people of any community, state and Nigeria despite their ethnic, religious, and cultural differences.

Speaking  at the SHAFAUDEEN International Mosque  2026 Annual Convention held in  Ibadan , the Oyo State Capital, Oba Owoade noted that religious conventions and institutions play a significant role in national stability by acting as foundational pillars for social order, moral guidance, and community cohesion.

The annual international convention was organised by the founder and spiritual leader of SHAFAUDEEN Worldwide, Wakajaiye Ibadan, Professor Engr Sabit Ariyo Olagoke who happened to be a lecturer for His Imperial Majesty Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade at the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro. 

 These gatherings and the institutions behind them, he stated, promote shared values, mitigate social conflicts, and often bridge gaps in service provision, particularly in developing or transitional states.

 According to him, ""religious institutions serve as agents of socialization that foster community identity and harmony among diverse groups. They bring people together, encouraging cooperation, trust, and a shared sense of purpose.

""By fostering values such as honesty, integrity, and discipline, religious conventions help shape individual conduct, which reduces crime and strengthens social order.

Conflict Mediation and Peacebuilding: 

""Religious leaders and organizations frequently act as mediators in conflicts, utilizing their moral authority to promote reconciliation. They are often more trusted in fragile states than political leaders, making them effective agents for peace Religious tolerance and stability fostered by these groups create an environment that attracts investment and promotes economic growth"".

In many societies, the Alaafin pointed out that, religious institutions provide a framework for legitimacy and social stability by endorsing principles that resonate with the population, such as justice and equity.

""While having the potential to strengthen stability, religious conventions can also become points of contention if they fuel extremism, intolerance, or the politicization of faith. When religious differences are exploited for political purposes, they can lead to insecurity and hinder national development.

""To ensure that religious conventions enhance rather than disrupt stability, it is important to: promote understanding and reduce, prejudice,, and mistrust between different religious communities, build strategic partnerships between religious institutions and government bodies for development,  and emphasize universal moral principles that promote peace, justice, and service over divisive doctrines.  

Alaafin's extempore address was interjected with rounds of applause by delegates at the  convention  who were impressed by the Paramount Ruler's intellectual sagacity. 

Conclusively, Alaafin  highlights the significant impact of religious tolerance on a nation’s development, saying it is instrumental in driving progress and prosperity by fostering unity, social cohesion, and a harmonious environment within diverse societies.

He emphasized that embracing religious diversity and promoting respect for different faiths strengthens social bonds and encourages innovation, economic growth, and cultural enrichment. 

"" This inclusive approach unlocks the potential of all citizens, leading to a thriving environment conducive to national development"".

By Bode Durojaiye, Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Paramount Ruler of Oyo Kingdom and Superior Head of Yorubaland.

BREAKING: WORLD LEADERS EVACUATED IN DAVOS MEETING DUE TO UNUSUAL SMELL AND COUGHING

The conference center at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland is being evacuated with no further information on the cause.

A reporter on the scene described an unusual smell that is 'making some people in our area cough.' 

Hundreds of business leaders and government officials have descended on the forum for the five day event, gathering to discuss pressing global issues. 

Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on Wednesday that he would be scrapping tariffs for European allies that opposed his plans to purchase Greenland.

He claimed that he had reached a 'framework deal' in acquiring Greenland in a meeting with Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, at the WEF.

'This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations. Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st,' he said.

Trump said 'additional discussions' were to be had regarding the Golden Dome missile defense system.