By Bilesanmi Abayomi
The Yoruba community in Imo State, under the leadership of Arole Odua III, Oba Musibau Oladeji, has paid homage to His Royal Highness, Eze (Dr.) E. C. Emmanuel Okeke, CFR, Eze Imo, to celebrate his 25th anniversary on the throne of the Amaifeke Ancient Kingdom.
The delegation, which stormed Owerri in a colourful cultural display, hailed Eze Okeke as a unifying figure and commended his decades-long reign as custodian of both the Amaifeke people and the wider Imo traditional council.
The milestone event drew dignitaries nationwide, including President Bola Tinubu and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who both lauded the monarch’s contributions to peace, cultural preservation, and development.
The Yoruba community’s gesture of solidarity was first highlighted on Facebook by polyglot Adedeji Odulesi, who praised the homage as a model of inter-ethnic tolerance at a time of rising identity tensions in Nigeria.
In sharp contrast, Lagos was recently thrown into controversy when police arrested a self-proclaimed “Obi of Lagos,” Engineer Chibuike Azubike, who attempted to stage an installation ceremony while unveiling plans for a ₦1.5 billion palace project. The September 13 event was halted by security operatives, who described the move as unlawful and misleading.
The juxtaposition of these two events — Yoruba leaders paying respect to an Igbo monarch in Imo, and the crackdown on a self-styled “Obi of Lagos” — underscores Nigeria’s delicate balance between legitimate traditional authority, ethnic identity, and the misuse of titles for personal gain.