Awujale of Ijebuland dies hours after longtime friend, Buhari’s passing

The Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, has died at the age of 91, bringing an end to a reign that spanned more than six decades. Adetona passed away on Sunday, just hours after the death of his longtime friend and Nigeria’s former president, Muhammadu Buhari, was announced, marking a poetic close to a friendship forged in the fire of history. Crowned on April 2, 1960, Adetona reigned for over 64 years, making him one of the longest-serving traditional rulers in Nigerian history. His bond with Buhari stretched back to the 1980s and was solidified under extraordinary circumstances. In 1983, then Ogun State governor, Olabisi Onabanjo, had signed off on Adetona’s deposition, with the removal set to take effect on January 2, 1984. ALSO READ: Tinubu sends Shettima to UK to bring Buhari’s remains to Nigeria However, fate and history had other plans. On December 31, 1983, Buhari, then a military general, overthrew Nigeria’s civilian government in a coup. The shake-up not only derailed Onabanjo’s plan but also preserved Adetona’s throne. Just weeks before his passing, the Awujale was noticeably absent from the 2025 Ojude Oba Festival, where he is traditionally the main attraction. His absence on June 8 sparked concern among attendees, but organisers quickly reassured the public. Dr. Fassy Yusuff, the festival’s coordinator and a former Ogun State Commissioner for Information, explained that the monarch had recently been discharged from a Lagos hospital on June 5 and was recuperating at home. “A normal situation. Nothing to worry about,” Yusuff said at the time. In his place, Olori Kemi Adetona, the Awujale’s wife, represented him at the event, receiving dignitaries and well-wishers on his behalf. Awujale’s death leaves a deep vacuum in traditional leadership and marks the end of an era in Ijebuland’s storied history. ALSO READ: Life and times of Muhammadu Buhari