By By Muminat Ajide
The cultural landscapes of Nigeria’s Ojude Oba festival in Ijebu Ode and the Durbar festival in Ilorin have sparked a debate among internet users. Images from Ilorin’s Durbar Festival have led to a wave of reactions, with social media users comparing the two traditional events and sharing their opinions.
The Durbar festival, a traditional event in Ilorin, Kwara State, rooted in the heritage of the Fulani people, is held annually during significant Muslim celebrations such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
It features displays of horsemanship, martial arts demonstrations, and spirited performances of traditional music and dance. Dignitaries, adorned in regal attire, lead majestic parades that highlight the festival’s cultural significance and historical roots.
On the other hand, the Ojude Oba festival in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, honors the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona Ogbagba II, and is celebrated with equal zeal on the third day of Eid al-Adha (Ileya).
This event sees the Ijebu community come
together in colorful displays of regalia and cultural pride, featuring vibrant processions of regberegbe age groups paying homage to their revered monarch through traditional dances and horse-riding spectacles.
The growing popularity of the Ojude Oba festival, particularly online, has led to comparisons being drawn with the Durbar festival in Ilorin. This has prompted a spectrum of reactions from netizens:
@blounch01 dismissed the comparison, stating, “Lol! Who’s comparing Ilorin Durbar to Ojude Oba of Ijebu Ode? That’s ridiculous!”
@shynfthunter lamented, “Ilorin people have been subdued and conquered completely. Ilorin emirate durbar but no single Yoruba culture or influence.”
@hadj_gesinde stated, “There’s nothing like Yoruba-Fulani. Ilorin is of pure Oyo descent and lost to the Fulanis. Yoruba is a race; the subgroups like Ilorin are part of the Yoruba race.”
@MASKURAID highlighted Ilorin’s struggle for broader recognition, commenting, “Ilorin is struggling to be known for something beyond (coded) shina and arumoje afaas. Durbar koo, durban ni.”
@AdeAjay07519752 humorously noted, “Ilorin did Durbar yesterday and we didn’t even know.”
