By: Hon. Comrade James Onifade
In Yoruba land, respect for traditional rulers is not optional, it’s woven into the fabric of our identity. Our Kabiyesis are custodians of culture, history, and communal harmony.
Greeting a first-class monarch like the Soun of Ogbomoso demands full deference: a bow, a prostration, or at the very least, a posture that acknowledges his exalted status. Anything less is not just poor manners; it’s a deliberate slight to the throne and, by extension, to every son and daughter who holds our heritage dear.
Yet, in a widely circulated moment from a recent public event, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji—known as AMBO and the APC’s flagbearer for the Osun governorship chose a different path. He approached the revered Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Olaoye Ghandi, and extended a casual handshake while standing tall.
The monarch, in a dignified response, completely ignored the gesture. Mere moments later, at the same venue, this same man dropped to his knees in full prostration to greet Mrs. Kafayat Oyetola, the wife of his political godfather and former Osun governor.
The contrast is glaring and impossible to ignore. When facing the wife of his benefactor, humility flowed freely he knelt without hesitation. But before a paramount ruler whose authority predates modern politics, he offered only the informality of a handshake.
Such selective respect speaks volumes. It reveals priorities skewed toward personal loyalty over cultural obligation, toward godfatherism over the collective dignity of our people.
This isn’t a minor etiquette lapse. In Yoruba tradition, the throne commands reverence above all else. A man who can bend the knee to a political patron’s spouse but stands rigid before a Kabiyesi shows misplaced allegiance.
He treats royal institution as secondary, something negotiable, while elevating familial political ties to near-sacred status. Perhaps. But more damningly, it paints a picture of a leader-in-waiting who views tradition as inconvenient rather than inviolable.
And the pattern extends beyond him. Those trailing in his entourage mirrored the same disregard, standing upright before the Soun while showing full deference to Mrs. Oyetola. If this is the company he keeps, what does it say about the values they would bring to governance? A group that disrespects royal fathers today may tomorrow sideline elders, customs, and the masses when power beckons.
Critics have long called him a lackey, pointing to his apparent subservience to political overlords. This incident only strengthens that view. A true leader for Osun must embody Omoluabi values humility, integrity, and balanced respect for all pillars of society. Kneeling before one figure while snubbing another isn’t leadership; it’s sycophancy dressed as ambition.
If elected, how would such a man treat other traditional rulers? Governors from neighboring states? Or the everyday people of Osun whose voices often go unheard? Where is the decorum, the cultural sensitivity required to unite and lead a state rich in tradition like ours?
Osun people deserve better. We deserve a governor who honors our Kabiyesis not out of calculation, but conviction. One who understands that true power flows from respect for the roots that sustain us, not from kneeling only where personal gain lies.
The choice is clear. As the election draws near, let this moment serve as a reminder: leadership without cultural reverence is hollow. AMBO’s handshake that wasn’t and the kneel that followed exposes a fundamental mismatch. Osun cannot afford such selective humility. The throne, the culture, and the people demand more.
The ball remains in our court. Let’s choose wisely.
E-signed: Hon Comrade James Onifade
Advocate for Good Governance and A Better Judicial System
