In a powerful display of national cohesion and spiritual solidarity, the seat of power played host to the upper echelon of Nigeria’s traditional institution on Monday evening.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, flanked by Vice President Kashim Shettima, hosted a cross-section of the country’s most influential traditional rulers at the State House to break the Ramadan fast (Iftar).
The gathering featured a rare and formidable assembly of Yoruba crowns.
Leading the delegation from the South West were:
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi;
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja
Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi.
The presence of these monarchs, alongside their counterparts from across the Federation, transformed the Banquet Hall into a tapestry of culture and administrative dialogue.
While the primary purpose of the gathering was the breaking of the fast, a core tenet of the holy month of Ramadan ,the underlying theme was clearly the stability of the Federation.
President Tinubu, addressing the royal fathers, emphasized the “pivotal role” the traditional institution plays as the bridge between the government and the grassroots. Insiders suggest the discussion touched briefly on the administration’s ongoing economic reforms and the necessity of traditional rulers in maintaining peace and security within their respective domains.