The Olowu of Kuta, His Royal Majesty Oba Dr. Hammed Adekunle Makama Oyelude, Tegbosun III, has called on traditional rulers across Yorubaland to honour the oaths of office they took and remain committed to upholding the customs and traditions of their forebears.
In a statement issued by his media office on Friday, Oba Makama emphasised that the core responsibility of an Oba is to be the custodian of culture and tradition, not to abandon it in favour of personal or religious preferences.
The monarch’s remarks followed a recent statement by Justice Phillips Akinside of the Ogun State High Court, who declared that any traditional ruler who voluntarily ascends the throne through cultural processes must accept the accompanying rites and customs, including burial traditions, even after death.
Oba Makama commended the judge’s position, saying it aligns with his long-standing view that Yoruba monarchs must operate within the framework of the cultural institution they represent.
“Obas who are not ready to abide by the dictates of their office should respectfully step down, rather than desecrate the institution with careless remarks or actions,” he stated.
The Olowu further noted that no Oba in Yorubaland is crowned in a mosque or church, but through traditional rites, which they solemnly swore to uphold during their coronation.
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He urged Yoruba traditional rulers to refrain from actions or utterances that could undermine the sacredness of the Obaship institution, stressing that upholding culture and tradition is not optional, but a solemn duty tied to their office.
Oba Makama said, “There’s a ductum is law, which says, ‘Violenti non fit injuria, ‘ which simply translates to the fact that you cannot complain once the details of what you’re subscribing to have been spelt to you beforehand.
Justice Akinside, who was the keynote speaker at the fifth Chief Kehinde Sofola Memorial Bar Lecture, organised by the Nigerian Bar Association, Sagamu branch on Wednesday, said, “The Obas have no right or legal right to change the tradition they have voluntarily come into.”
He explained that the same customs that guide the selection, nomination, and installation of an Oba should equally apply to their burial.
According to him, “One cannot become a traditional ruler in accordance with the customs of the land and later reject those same customs. Religious freedom exists under the 1999 Constitution, but once an individual chooses to enter a traditional institution, they cannot claim an infringement of that freedom when the rites of that institution apply.”
Justice Akinside argued that accepting the role of an Oba is a voluntary act, and by doing so, the individual implicitly agrees to uphold and be governed by the associated traditions, including burial rituals.
He likened rejecting those customs later to attempting to “change the goalpost in the middle of the match.”
It would be recalled that some Obas in Yorubaland have been campaigning against burying traditional rulers according to the customs and rites, while some have deviated from the tradition and culture which they swore to uphold.