The Silent Resistance: Two Yoruba Monarchs Who Stood Firm Against Emirate Hegemony — Unpaid, Unrecognized, and Unbowed
In the sprawling cultural tapestry of Nigeria, traditional kings and monarchs are more than symbolic figures — they are custodians of history, identity, and community continuity. Yet in one part of the country, two Yoruba kings have spent decades in an agonizing struggle for dignity, recognition, and respect — resisting pressures that many see as rooted in ethno‑political hegemony and historical marginalization.
Their stories — one from the historic town of Jebba, the other from the ancient community of Shao — pose a pressing question: how long can traditional institutions be ignored, undermined, or sidelined before justice is finally served?
A Century and Two Decades of Silence: The Plight of Oba Abdulkadir Alabi Adebara of Jebba
At the heart of this controversy is Abdulkadir Alabi Adebara, the venerable traditional ruler of Jebba in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria. The 101‑year‑old monarch ascended the throne on May 16, 2003, with full traditional rites and legal recognition as a Third Class traditional ruler — a status formally conferred by the then‑governor, Alhaji Mohammed Lawal.
However, this official status — and all the benefits that accompany it — has never translated into actual entitlement. Despite being duly installed and recognized, Oba Adebara **has not received a single kobo in salary or personal emoluments from the Kwara State Government since his appointment in 2003 — a period spanning over two decades.
Court Orders, Forgotten Files, Lost Dignity
The saga has been rife with legal battles and bureaucratic neglect. After Oba Adebara’s installation, questions were raised about his legitimacy, leading to a series of prosecutions — which were later dismissed in court, ultimately affirming his position as the rightful monarch. The Kwara State High Court ruled in 2014 that his appointment and grading were “legal, valid and subsisting.”
Despite this, the state government has repeatedly failed to implement the court’s directives, including payment of withheld salaries and allowances. Letters from the monarch to successive governors — including one in August 2023 and a follow‑up in October 2023 — have been met with silence, while crucial files have reportedly “disappeared” from government circulation.
At present, Oba Adebara and his chiefs have made passionate public pleas to Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq to honour both the law and his own legal office by fulfilling the monarch’s long‑overdue entitlements. Communities have even urged the immediate upgrade of Jebba’s traditional stool to First Class status — a fitting parity with other historic Yoruba rulers — but this request remains unfulfilled.
Shao Kingdom: The Other Monarch Who Would Not Bow
While the plight of the Oba of Jebba attracts headlines, he is not alone. According to community accounts and historic discourse, the Ohoro of Shao, the traditional ruler of Shao Kingdom (also in the Moro Local Government Area), has faced similar pressures for resisting subservience to the Emirate of Ilorin system.
The town of Shao — agriculturally rich, culturally rooted, and historically Yoruba — has long maintained an autonomous identity separate from nearby Ilorin. Yet despite its deep history, the Ohoro’s staff of office has been seized, his grading not given alongside his peer Yoruba Obas, and his salary withheld by the government for years — all tied to his refusal to recognize the Emir of Ilorin’s supremacy over traditional Yoruba rulership.
According to historical discussions, both the Oba of Jebba and the Ohoro of Shao were once graded chiefs together under earlier colonial and pre‑military governance structures. Their grading was revoked during key political transitions, often cited as influenced by powerful Emirate authorities in Ilorin’s orbit.
This shared experience of marginalization has become a rallying point for advocates of cultural freedom and historical justice — with voices asking why two Yoruba monarchs, whose communities predate or stand independent of the Emirate system, are still denied full recognition and institutional respect.
A Broader Struggle: Ethnicity, History, and Chieftaincy Politics
Underlying both kings’ struggles is a wider historical tension: the legacy of the Ilorin Emirate itself. Historically, Ilorin was once a Yoruba town within the Old Oyo Empire before becoming a Fulani‑influenced Emirate in the 19th century, blending Yoruba populations with Fulani leadership structures.
The Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu‑Gambari, has been in office since 1995 and serves as Chairman of the Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council. His historical and institutional prominence amplifies the political context in which these traditional Yoruba kings navigate their authority — at times creating friction where cultural self‑determination and centralized traditional hierarchy intersect.
Critics argue that this configuration has resulted in an unequal traditional administration, where Yoruba communities like Jebba and Shao find their age‑old monarchies ignored or downgraded to fit a system that prioritizes Emirate dominance.
Community Outcry and Calls for Justice
The calls for redress are not confined to the royal palaces. In Jebba, community leaders — including chiefs and descendants of the town’s founders — have held press conferences, urging the Kwara State Government to act fairly. They argue that there are concerns some officials within the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs are “frustrating” implementation of rightful entitlements.
These voices emphasise that the issue isn’t simply about arrears of pay, but about restoring dignity, respect, and equality within the traditional systems of Nigeria.
A Question of Identity and Legacy
Oba Adebara of Jebba and the Ohoro of Shao are not merely unpaid monarchs. They are living repositories of Yoruba history — representing towns that were integral to pre‑colonial structures like the Old Oyo Empire, whose legends and influence once spanned vast regions of what is now southwestern Nigeria.
Their refusal to bow — whether that be paying homage to an Emirate that historically subsumed their communities or submitting to administrative erasure — is viewed by many as a defiant stand for cultural autonomy.
Final Thought: When Will Justice Beckon?
For over 20 years, two Yoruba monarchs have been at the receiving end of political neglect, institutional sidelining, and structural non‑recognition. No salaries. No upgrade in status. No formal acknowledgement of their historical rights.
Yet amidst all this — they remain unbowed.
How many more years must pass before justice is served? How many traditional institutions across Nigeria quietly wallow under similar pressures? And how long will descendants of Odùduwà wait for their culture and history to be fully honored?
These are questions that demand not only administrative answers but national introspection.
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