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Why Alaafin chose agitator Adams as Aare Ona Kankafo of Yoruba

Published

9 years ago

October 16, 2017

OPC leader Gani Adams has been chosen the new ‘Aare Ona Kakanfo, the highest title the Alaafin Oyo confers on Yoruba warriors—traditionally.

The Alaafin, Lamidi Adeyemi, confirmed the choice of Mr. Adams for the title during his 79th birthday celebration on Sunday.

Segun Akanni, Adam’s spokesperson confirmed his principal received a letter of appointment from the Alaafin.

Adams will be succeeding the late businessman and June 12 hero Moshood Abiola.

Abiola, who got the title in 1998, died July 1993 after years-long confinement by the late dictator Sani Abacha.

The late po0litician was acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential election whose result the military junta headed by Gen Ibrahim B. Babangida disrupted before Abacha now took in Abiola following mass protests across the nation,

The second Premier of the old Western Region Ladoke Akintola held the title between 1962 and 1966.

While the title was usually given outstanding warriors in Yorubaland way back, it is now bestowed on influential Yoruba men in either politics or business.

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Alaafin said Adams had been at the vanguard of promoting Yoruba culture and defending the interests of the group.

“The OPC National Coordinator is a focused, committed and pragmatic Nigerian whose unrelented efforts and sense of devotion in the vanguard of making Yoruba traditional religion a reference point in global circles is inspiring, laudable and worthy of emulation,” said the Alaafin.

A press conference would be held later to formally declare Mr. Adams the new Aare Ona Kakanfo and the reasons he was so honoured from the list of five persons he had considered.