When news went round that a noble daughter of the incumbent Ayangbure of Ikorodu, the lady who played a strategic traditional role in the coronation of her father, Oba Kabir Shotobi, was about to get married, the air was abuzz with excitement.
The Lika, who was the only person attending to the Oba elect while he spent sixty (60) days in Ipebi, instantly became as famous as her father from May 2015 till date. Who will marry this noble daughter? A young King or a young Prince, many asked. Of course, the Odulate family provided the immediate answer. From that family with a royal blood came a young Prince announced to be the Lika’s intended husband.
The family of Odulate has a multi-millionaire oil and gas giant as father of the groom to be. So, when two powerful families with blue blood in their veins and so much wealth in their hands merge in holy matrimony of their children, as anticipated, people burst into a frenzy as they anxiously waited for this royal wedding of the year 2017. They scrambled for the prestigious aso-oke for the wedding. They needed not search in vain for the best as they rushed to the House of Israel owned by Chief (Mrs.) Biodun Olowosago for their supplies.
The rush for the aso-oke had begun two months to the December Wedding. No one wanted to be left out of the identification with the Kabiyesi’s royal family and the Odulate’s. The social media was effervescent with the news of the wedding. The Chief of Staff of Oba Oyefusi and Asipa Kaoli Olusanya including Ayamo Modupe Ogunsanya led the teams and committees planning the wedding. The committees held several painstaking meetings to ensure a flawless event.
A lady with the midas touch, Yetunde (daughter of Engr. Wasiu Olokunola), Proprietress of Ikorodu Musical Village as well as a professional hall decorator, put finishing touches to the preparations for the event, part of which was to take place at the Musical Village. By early December, invitation for the four legged event had been rolling out – the Registry, the Nikkai (traditional wedding), the church wedding and the grand reception at the Musical Village. Everyone was confident that the combined wealth of the two powerful families would produce a Guiness Book of Records Wedding of the year 2017.
By Thursday, December 22, the product of the painstaking preparation for these two lovely royal children, pretty Princess Ayo Shotobi and handsome Prince Odulate became manifest. Both were to display to the public the love they had professed to each other. The Registry programme took place at the Ayangburen Palace, where the couple, in the presence of marriage registrars, signed along dotted lines to formalise their relationship. This is what many call the court wedding.
It was followed by the Nikkai, the traditional wedding, where mothers play prominent roles. The bride’s mother is Olori Kudirat Shotobi, Kabiyesi’s wife, who has earned for herself the title, ‘Treasure of Ikorodu Kingdom’ while the groom’s mom is a retired senior staff of old NEPA. The Christian bible specifies that he who finds a good wife finds a good thing and by so doing, attracts the favour of God. So, Prince Babatunde Odulate found a golden wife in Shotobi’s Palace; hence, there was joy in his heart and those of his wealthy family.
Expectedly, there was a beehive of activities at the Palace during these two events. Families, friends and well-wishers gathered to witness these events at the royal Palace to solemnize a marriage among marriages. Of course, when Princes and Princesses wed, they attract global attention and attraction. Because they were media events, the still, motion and television cameras rolled and clicked per second, flashing and dazzling the watching eyes. The highlight of both events at the palace were captured in there exclusive shots by the photo crew from Oriwu Sun.
The distinguished guests at the ceremonies continued to appreciate and to applaud the outstanding couple, whose elegance, outfits, comportments, body languages, and general dispositions were classical and romantic. Every aspect of the event positively projected the two families and the synergy they forged to produce a magnificent ceremony.
The Nikkai, which started late afternoon and lasted till late night at about 10p.m, was nothing short of a high profile display of not only affluence but that of rich culture, tradition and social standing of the two families, laced with humour, laughter and pleasantries. When ordinary people perform a Nikkai, people are usually thrilled with the jokes, how much more when the royalty is doing so. The drills and the thrills are so scintillating and rib cracking. The new couple left the Nikkai late in the night to catch some sleep and get ready for Saturday, December 22, 2017, when they were to tie the proverbial nuptial knot at the Methodist Church, Ita-Elewa, Ikorodu.
This church, which is an architect masterpiece, is an octagonal cathedral. It is a little short of an oval building but it tantalizes the viewers’ eyes and anyone inside it in terms of the shape and the inside decorations. If anyone could recollect the weddings of British Princes and Princesses in churches, you will figure out the grandeur, the flavour, the colour mixture, the protocols and the competitions by designers of wedding dresses – flowing wedding gown as long as thirty (30) yards or more like peacocks – while the males won tuxedos and other suits like those worn by Dukes and the Orchestra Conductors. People expected to be fascinated at the wedding. The church was well decorated to taste. Dignitaries were not in short supply. They included the wife of Governor Ambode, Bolanle, who led a team to grace the event.
When Kabiyesi Shotobi and his wife and entourage arrived alongside the first lady amidst armed security details with pump and pageantry, the church atmosphere took an ecclesiastical mood as if Angels of God were in attendance. Every available space was filled up in the church while outside, exotic cars took over the entire premises and adjoining roads. Ikorodu and Ita-Elewa knew that fateful Friday before the Christmas that a big foot stepped into the church. It was not long when the service gained momentum and all the royal guests, clergy men and women as well as all key players in the wedding took up their position and followed the meticulously planned programme.
A mixture of gospel music and ear deafening traditional musical drums rent the air. Gong music and other brands of music with varying amplitudes and decibels cajoled the sound waves. The arena was colourful as guests appeared in galaxies of white, blue and other colours. The harmattan cool winds accentuated the beauty of everyone in attendance. They knew they would soon drive down to the Musical Village for the social reception. The church solemnization had no fixations. The protocols and programmes were precisely tailored to time because of the presence of top dignitaries, who may have other activities to attend.
The couple did not disappoint anyone in their demonstration of love and mutuality. They proved with their parents to be working on the same page. The clergy men, who conducted the service, were brilliant in their performance and left no one in doubt that they too were satisfied with the arrangements. Highlight of the church wedding included exhortations, handing over of the bride to the groom by her parents, exchange of wedding rings and vows and presentation of the couple by the officiating priest to the congregation, followed by signing of the register and group photographs.
By the time the guests at the church moved to Musical Village in a long convoy of state of the art cars, there was a big stir around Ibeshe road. It was like a locust invasion. The process was like the science fiction film – invasion from other planets. Horns, sirens, hooters and speeding cars shook the environment as the wedding families set out to make the last and strongest statement as two influential entities. The mighty Musical Village was ready for the huge crowd that Saturday.
Mrs. Yetunde had ensured that the venue met global standards of royal weddings in terms of decorations, security, service men and women, quality of music, the seat arrangements, the protocol, etc. The social reception is usually the grand finale of a wedding. It consumes the biggest money.
Oba Shotobi and his wife led the train of dignitaries to the reception, first into a marque (a small hall attached to the main hall), where they had their lunch before they entered the public event. The handsome bridegroom, Prince Babatunde Odulate, now armed with all the certificates and authorities gathered from the court registry, the Nikkai ceremony and the church, stepped into the reception hall triumphantly with his pretty wife. They danced into the venue accompanied by friends, associates and well-wishers. Their entry was electrifying. Blistering music ushered them into the venue. The hall reflected the two or more aso ebi colours provided by the two families. The atmosphere was dazzling, making both parents of the groom and bride to be proud of their children.
The hall was enveloped by beauty, joy, elegance and affluence. Many came in splendid dresses looking dignified.
Looking around, it was a great accomplishment for the couple and their parents to have attracted such a massive audience of quality men and women. Love and joy flowed across the halls as everyone smiled and savoured the great moment of pleasure in that village of fun. Knowing that every invitee to this event must be treated with honour, the well-dressed ushers were at their best in eloquence, in etiquette and in decorum. They respectfully attended to the guest. The switch over of dresses by the couple, the dance session, the cake cutting, the speeches, the acknowledgement of the parents and the VIPs were some of the highlights of the multi million naira event.
Every single aspect of the reception were custom made or branded to reflect the status of the celebrators as no mean persons. Call it an out of this world wedding in this environment, you would not wrong. It was a splash of wealth in terms of the foods served, the wines, the support edibles and side attraction. Female guests could not take their eyes off the bride, who dressed in a gorgeous gown. She was the cynosure of all eyes, especially the classy ladies, who knew the worth of her outfit. They admired and applauded her every moment they had the opportunity. On the other hand, the handsome groom’s suit/outfit reflected the aristocratic status of the young man, whose knack for good things has been undisputedly proved by his choice of a Lika for a wife.
Amidst exotic dishes, beverages, drinks and assorted chops, guests had a good time and wonderful reflections, which the prestigious Musical Village always provides. Till late evening, it was quality service and provision galore.
The Holy matrimony was presided over by the Methodist Bishop of Ikorodu, Rt. Reve Sampson O. Osundina, who congratulated the couple, Adetayo Shotobi and Babatunde Odulate for voluntarily agreeing to be husband and wife. He counselled them to ensure that their royal backgrounds propel them to promote a peaceful marriage so as to encourage others to emulate them. Advising them that marriage is a not a bed of roses, he said they should always settle their differences amicably without a third party. Oba Shotobi and his wife led their in-laws, Otunba and Mrs. Oluwole Odulate and others to the altar.
Among the dignitaries at the event were the First Lady, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode; the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice O. A. Oke while the Ojora of Ijora and Iganmu, Oba Fatai Aromire represented Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos. He came with other White Cap Chiefs. To the reception venue was a military escort provided by Major General Dapo Otiki, first cousin to Oba Shotobi, who was at the two day wedding with Brig Gen Dauke. They ensured heavy presence of Military men at the three venues – church and musical village. Hon. Justice Oke chaired the reception and counselled the couple to incite the virtue of patience in their marriage and to speedily settle their quarrels.
Oba Shotobi’s god father from North Carolina, USA, Dr. Robert Brown, sent a message to the couple, which was read at the reception. Then the couple cut their wedding cake, ate out of it and hit the dance floor. They were later joined by their parents before they (the parents), led by Oba Shotobi, made brief speeches. Kabiyesi commended the couple for patiently making their relationship to translate to a real marriage and counselled them to ensure that their royal backgrounds become a blessing in this relationship and not a problem.
