Ojude Oba 2026 to proceed as planned despite royal transition — Organisers
By Omobolaji Adekunle
The Organising Committee of the 2026 Ojude Oba Festival has formally announced that this year’s edition of the globally celebrated cultural festival will hold with full grandeur and splendour, despite the recent transition of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona.
Speaking during a World Press Conference held on Tuesday at the Heritage Hall of the Awujale Palace in Ijebu Ode, members of the Festival Organising Committee reaffirmed the continuity of the annual cultural celebration, describing Ojude Oba as a timeless heritage institution that transcends personalities and generations.
According to the committee, recent narratives and insinuations suggesting that the festival could not continue after the passage of the revered monarch were unfounded and contrary to the wishes of the late Awujale himself.
The committee stated that the late monarch had made it abundantly clear during his lifetime that the festival must never be suspended on account of his passage or any interregnum, insisting that Ojude Oba remains a sacred cultural institution that should flourish for eternity.
The organisers stressed that suspending the festival would have undermined decades of cultural preservation, economic advancement, tourism development, and global cultural recognition built around the event.
The grand finale of the 2026 edition of the festival is scheduled to hold on Friday, May 29, 2026, two days after the celebration of Eid-el-Adha.
The committee unveiled the official theme for the 2026 edition as “Ojude Oba 2026: Celebrating the Legacy of Oba Sikiru Adetona.”
According to the organisers, the theme is inspired by the remarkable reign and enduring legacies of the late monarch, whose leadership transformed and internationalised the Ojude Oba Festival into a globally recognised cultural brand.
They noted that the late monarch redefined traditional leadership, promoted unity among the Ijebu people, and repositioned Ijebuland on the global cultural and socio-political map.
The 2026 edition, they added, would serve not only as a celebration of culture and heritage but also as a solemn tribute to the longest-reigning monarch in the history of Ijebuland.
The committee highlighted the historical origins of the festival, explaining that Ojude Oba began as a gathering of Muslim faithful who paid homage to the monarch after Eid-el-Adha in appreciation of the religious tolerance granted to them by the traditional institution.
Over the years, the event evolved into a major cultural celebration embraced by Muslims, Christians, traditional worshippers, and people of different backgrounds, becoming a symbol of unity, peaceful coexistence, and communal harmony. Today, the festival attracts millions of participants and visitors from within Nigeria and across the diaspora.
One of the major highlights of the 2026 festival will again be the colourful parade of the Regberegbe age-grade groups, which the organisers described as a vital institution for social cohesion and communal development in Ijebuland. About 90 male and female age-grade groups are expected to participate in this year’s edition, showcasing rich traditional attires, music, pageantry, and coordinated cultural displays.
The committee also announced that 25 distinguished Balogun and Eleshin families, descendants of ancient Ijebu warlords, would participate in the famous equestrian parade that has become one of the defining attractions of the festival. The horse riders, according to the organisers, symbolise courage, honour, royalty, and the warrior heritage of the Ijebu people.
The organisers disclosed that the First Lady of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu, has been invited as the Special Guest of Honour for the 2026 edition.
Other dignitaries expected at the festival include the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, his wife, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun, and the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa.
The committee also recalled that previous editions of the festival had hosted notable national figures, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and businessman Aliko Dangote.
The organisers announced that several corporate organisations and institutions have already partnered with the festival for the 2026 edition. Among the sponsors listed were Globacom, FCMB, Rite Foods, Adron Homes, Guinness Nigeria, Honeywell Group, Nestlé Nigeria, Nigerian Breweries, and Cornerstone Insurance.
The committee assured residents and visitors of adequate security, revealing that the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Army, State Security Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, and Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency were already working on comprehensive security and traffic management plans for the event.
Another major highlight of the press conference was the unveiling of the 2026 Ojude Oba Commemorative Medallion Logo.
The organisers explained that the medallion would serve as a symbolic identity for the 2026 edition and would not replace the festival’s permanent official logo.
According to the committee, the commemorative emblem captures the majesty of the Awujale institution, the pride of the Regberegbe groups, the vibrancy of Ijebu culture, and the iconic horse riders that define the global appeal of Ojude Oba.
The medallion, they said, would feature prominently on digital platforms, souvenirs, official merchandise, event branding, and archival materials for the 2026 edition.
The organisers concluded by appealing to all participants, residents, and visitors to remain peaceful, orderly, and law-abiding throughout the festival period while upholding the dignity and global reputation of the Ojude Oba Festival.