Elesin Oba, again, mocks leadership

As Wole Soyinka’s most staged play, Death and King’s Horseman mounted the stage last weekend in Lagos, it still evoked the sensitive problem of bad leadership in the society, reports Edozie Udeze

Death and the King’s Horseman by Professor Wole Soyinka may be one of his most staged plays in Nigeria.  But this comes with strong reasons that have indeed bound the play to the never-ending sentiments in a society where leaders often shy away from their responsibilities.  That Elesin Oba, the King’s Horseman was hesitant to die to follow his King to life after is still part of those irresponsible behaviours of leaders.  When the play came on stage last weekend at the Lagos State Council for Arts, Ikeja, Lagos, it evoked a lot of sympathies not just for the community that Elesin Oba tried to betray, but equally for his son Olunde who had to die in place of his father.  His action was to help his people.

This action was taken by Olunde, a medical student in England, to save his people from doom and also to remove shame from the family.  The truth is that the play was written essentially to situate two important issues in the community.  The first is the innocuous attitude of the British people in the traditions of the people and the consequences.  The second is to show the role of leaders who shriek their roles to the people when the time comes.  Elesin Oba knew clearly that his role was to die the day the king was to be buried in order to complete his own cycle of life on earth.  It is a role that made him enjoy all the rights, privileges and royalties of a pampered and respected leader, only next to the king.  He knew the repercussion on his people if he did not fulfill this recommendation by tradition.  But because he had enjoyed too much; he had had the best of life while he reigned, when the time for him to take his life to accompany the king to join their ancestors came, he began to bring politics into it.

Elesin Oba himself intoned: “Oh, my courage deserted me; my medicine chose that moment to fail me”.  It was in the process of this delay that the British Colonial masters waded in to save Elesin Oba and to also compound the situation.  This did not save Elesin Oba either.  As his son came home to bury him, knowing that the king had passed on, he still saw his father alive, rollicking in good life.  This was the moment when the District Officer (DO) Simon chose to wade in.  He arrested Elesin Oba to stop him from fulfilling the dictates of his people, from taking his life.

This action by the British set off lots and lots of reactions by the local people.  Women led the protest.  Iyaloja, Elesin Oba’s mother, led the protest, insisting that Elesin Oba owed it to the people to maintain peace by taking his life.  “Don’t you have traditions where you come from?”  She boldly asked Simon and his wife, Jane.  “If you allow him to kill himself”, Simon replied “more heads will roll”.  “You mean because of one person, you will waste more lives?”,  Iyaloja fired back at him. To this, Simon had no plausible answer to give.

Within this time, information came to them that the local women were outside to register their disgust.  As they were led in, it was discovered that they came with them a wrapped baggage.  Initially no one knew what it contained.  For viewers, it seemed that the king’s corpse had been brought in to show Elesin Oba in order to disgrace him and to also weaken the hold of the British on the situation.  It was a sober moment, solemn, gloomy, and unfathomable.  The audience waited.  Even the Iyaloja was a bit dumb-founded; eager too to see whose corpse it was.  Then the DO instructed them to open the parcel.  Lo and behold, it was Olunde, the promising young son of Elesin Oba, a medical student in England.  “He had chosen to tow the part of honour”, Iyaloja bellowed with pride.  “Elesin Oba, see yourself now.  See how your son has shown you, has taught you how to be brave and maintain peace in our clime?”.

This scene threw sorrow into the arena.  While the women mourned, Iyaloja prattled on to show her pride.  Then as they were all occupied with these confusing reactions, and attention diverted from Elesin Oba, he quickly strangled himself with the chain with which he was bound in prison.  The sight of his son’s corpse was enough for him to do the needful.  As the D. O rushed in to bring him back to life, it was too late.  Exactly what Iyaloja feared had happened.  Must you, in the process of your selfish deeds waste more lives?

The play opened with beautiful maidens adorned in white costumes ostensibly to amuse Elesin.  The Oba had just died and it was time for Elesin Oba, the Horseman to have his last enjoyment with his people.  Suddenly, he was presented with a virgin: fresh from the cradle to amuse him.  His wives prepare for this last memorable moment.  Elesin indeed rummages in it.  There is life; there is fulfillment.  But is Elesin read to render his life for his people?  The fear is there in the air hovering precariously.  The Iyaloja notices it and begins to scold Elesin and urge him on not to relent.  “You have to avoid this impending disaster, Elesin Alaafin”.  She eulogises him to keep him in the right mood.  Enjoyment over, Elesin goes on stage to take his life; but after several attempts, he loses his concentration; his courage evaporates.  He has seen much of life to muster enough courage to go join his king.

Meanwhile, the drum keeps pelting out sad tones signaling impending doom.  The society suddenly becomes quiet.  Everybody seems to be in the mood to reflect on the consequences of Elesin’s action or inaction.  The constant movements between the residence of the D. O and the local people further make the scene more palpable.  The musical renditions rendered the play very admissible.  More people among the audience saw in it a moment to reflect on the leadership problems in Nigeria.

Sola Adenugba, producer of the play explained that it was just to elevate culture in the identity of elevate the people.  “Yes, this play will always address the cultural identity of the people.  In it also, you see how our leaders can disappoint their people.  Elesin Oba is a good example.  Too much enjoyment made him to deny his people their rights”, he said in an interview.  The play was staged as the Independence story in 1960.  As it was relevant then, so it still is today.  Those tendencies of undue interference now come in form of neocolonialism.  The West still distorts our political and cultural flow and no one seems to be bold enough to challenge them or ameliorate the situation.