No doubt, the Iyalode chieftaincy tittle is a very powerful position in the Yoruba traditional setting as the occupant is traditionally regarded as the ‘King’ of the women and a key member of the Chief-in-Council of a monarch in Yoruba Kingdom. When a candidate is selected for the much coveted position, she is expected to go through a marathon traditional rites after her installation as a way of fortifying her and preparing her for the tasks associated with the position.
This is exactly the situation of Chief (Mrs.) Afolake Adebimpe (Okemati) Shonubi, the new Iyalode of Ikorodu, who was installed by Oba Kabiru Shotobi, Ayangbure of Ikorodu, on Saturday, August 4, 2019. After her installation, she had been going through series of coronation rites being performed by different groups of traditionalists in Ikorodu.
On Tuesday, October 8, 2019, the coronation rites for the new Iyalode gathered momentum as she was taken to the Iledi Osugbo Abalaye (Osugbo cult chamber) in Ikorodu for a high powered traditional rites led by the Apena of Ikorodu, Chief Kareem Ore. The event, which was scheduled to commence by 8:30am, could not start due to the heavy downpour in the early hours of the day, but after the rain had stopped around 11:41am, two bare chested elderly members of the Osugbo cult, dressed in their robe regalia, arrived the Shonubi family house located on Ladega street, Ikorodu, to lead Chief Shonubi to the Osugbo cult chamber.
After receiving a bottle of the popular traditional drink (Aromatic Schnapps) and a monetary gift from the Shonubi family, the Osugbo cult members led Mrs. Shonubi, who was gorgeously dressed in a white lace attire, on foot through the wet street to the Osugbo cult chamber located a few meters from the Shonubi family house.
As she was being led through the street by the traditionalists in the company of her husband, Chief Abdulfatai Okemati, family members and friends, a crowd of residents and road side traders, who lined up the street to catch a glimpse of the procession, kept shouting her praise, praying for her to have a successful reign.
At the Osugbo cult chamber, members of the Balogun of Ikorodu descendant family, who are the custodians of the Decorated Cap to be given to the new Iyalode as staff of office, had seated under a canopy alongside other people as they awaited the arrival of Mrs. Shonubi. Also present at the venue were a group of traditional drummers (Ikorodu Drummers Association), led by the Editor of Oriwu Sun, Hadji Kazim Ganiu-Sanni, who are saddled by tradition to perform for the new Iyalode at the event.
On her arrival at the Osugbo cult chamber, Mrs. Shonubi was immediately handed over to Chief Ore and other leaders of the Osugbo cult, who in turn took her into the inner chamber for a brief close door rites, after which she was brought outside for another round of rites, which were witnessed by a large crowd. Mrs. Shonubi was led back into the inner chamber of the Iledi Osugbo for the concluded part of the rites and later came out to receive blessings from members of the Balogun of Ikorodu descendant family before a marathon photograph session.
After leaving the Osugbo cult chamber, the new Iyalode, accompanied by the traditional drummers and a huge crowd, walked and danced through major streets of Ikorodu while also stopping over to pay homage and offer prayers at the Ayangbure palace, major shrines and ancestral homes of past Iyalodes, Balogun and other key traditional chiefs. At exactly 3:12p.m, she was led back to her family house at Ladega, where guests and well-wishers were entertained with food, drinks and performance by the traditional drummers.
The event later climaxed with the capping of Chief Shonubi as the new Iyalode of Ikorodu by members of the Balogun descendants family to the admiration of her family and the entire gathering.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Oriwu Sun, Chief Shonubi expressed her joy over her installation as the new Iyalode of Ikorodu. She thanked God for making it possible for her to assume the position despite alleged rumour that she would not be installed. Chief Shonubi also thanked Oba Shotobi, her family members and entire Ikorodu people for accepting her choice for the position and appealed for their continuous support to make her reign a success. While also promising to use her new position to enhance further development of Ikorodu, she urged the Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led Lagos State government to assist in providing necessary infrastructure and repair the existing ones that are in bad shape across Ikorodu division.
Also, the trio of Chief J. A. Shonubi, the Aro of Ipakodo, Prince Dapo Ladega and Prince Jokotex Oguniyi Oyeneye, Baale Idafa, Ikorodu, who are key members of the Shonubi family, in their brief separate interviews with Oriwu Sun, said that the entire members of the family, which produced the first Iyalode of Ikorodu, are happy to have produced yet another occupant of the much coveted position. They described the new Iyalode as a humble, respectful and well-loved woman, whose selection for the position enjoyed unanimous acceptance within the family.
The trio thanked Oba Shotobi for accepting Chief Shonubi as the choice of the family and installing her as Iyalode of Ikorodu. They, however, advised the new Iyalode to cooperate and relate well with members of the family and her fellow Traditional Chiefs in order to have a successful reign.
