Culture

Ooni Palace Blasts Edited Video Of Alaafin Encounter At Abuja Summit

Published

1 year ago

June 24, 2025

Ooni of Ife’s palace condemns viral video shared by The Oyo Legacies, calling it a false account of Alaafin’s respectful gesture at Abuja summit

Ooni Alaafin viral video controversy has sparked sharp reaction from the Palace of the Ooni of Ife, which has condemned what it described as a deliberate misrepresentation of facts.

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In a strongly worded statement issued on Sunday by Otunba Moses Olafare, the Director of Media and Public Affairs at the Ooni’s Palace, the viral footage shared by The Oyo Legacies was dismissed as misleading and contrary to the events that transpired at the West Africa Economic Summit in Abuja on Saturday.

According to the palace, the video misrepresented the interaction between the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade.

The footage, which appeared to show the Alaafin ignoring the Ooni, was labelled as edited and incomplete.

The Ooni, who holds key roles such as Co-chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria and Permanent Chairman of the Southern Nigeria Council of Traditional Rulers, had arrived early and was seated at the VIP lounge with notable dignitaries.

Kabiyesi Alaafin Owoade did excellently well in his approach… he should have been reported as a monarch of peace and harmony.

When the Alaafin arrived, the statement noted that he bypassed his assigned seat to greet the Ooni in a gesture described as respectful and symbolic of unity.

“Kabiyesi Alaafin Owoade did excellently well in his approach to Kabiyesi Arole Oduduwa, Ooni Ogunwusi in Abuja yesterday, and it should have been so adequately reported by The Oyo Legacies showcasing him as a monarch of peace and harmony that he is and not otherwise,” the palace stated.

The palace recounted how both monarchs later proceeded to the main hall side by side and were seated according to protocol, dismissing suggestions of tension.

The Ooni’s camp criticised the media wing of the Alaafin’s palace for what it called “a damaging portrayal” and advised a complete reorientation for proper public image management.

“The media team must be retrained in image protocol and ethics,” Olafare said, stressing that their failure had portrayed the Alaafin in a false light.

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The palace concluded by urging the public to disregard the video and instead recognise the peaceful and respectful engagement that occurred between the two respected Yoruba monarchs.

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Culture

WAKE UP! Art Exhibition Returns for a Second Act

Published

2 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

Mariam Balogun

The contemporary art and photography exhibition “Wake Up!” is back again for a second edition.

Curated by Awele Onwordi, Wake Up! 2 exhibition pays homage to the Nigerian youth and burgeoning street culture which many of its contributing artists reference in their works.

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Titled “Young, Wild, Free”, the exhibition celebrates the creativity, resilience, freedom and cultural influence found in Nigerian youth.

Taking aim at societal issues and economic concerns, the exhibit reflects the youth and their refusal to compromise or bow despite all the challenges stacked against them while charting youth culture through art, music, fashion, skateboarding, photography and community.

The exhibition will be held, once again, at the Angel and Muse Gallery at 25 Sumbo Jibowu street off Ribadu Road off Awolowo Road in Ikoyi.

It will open on Saturday 5 September 2026 and will run until 11 September 2026
This second edition which focuses on celebrating, nurturing and exploring artistic practices rooted in youth and street culture will feature works from DENCITY and SUPERGLIDER HOUSE.

Exhibiting artists include Ajilore Kehinde – their work is deeply influenced by Nigerian street culture and works of other artists like Slawn, Peters Ejiro, etc, Chuka Onwordi – graphic designer who embodies themes of death, melancholy and beauty in his works, ZIDYEP – Abuja based creative whose works move between digital and physical spaces through art, graphic design and air brushing , Franklyn Okoye – graphic designer and artist whose works explore themes of identity and hyper-reality, Awele Onwordi – founder & curator of WAKE UP and multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans character art, creative logo design, album covers and more , Oluchi Kogolo – digital illustrator whose work explores street culture, personality and storytelling through a raw and playful visual style and Kozetuo Apeji – multidisciplinary artists who work explores experimental approaches to problem solving through both digital and traditional art forms.

Commenting on the exhibition in her curatorial statement, Awele noted that “despite economic instability, limited opportunities and socio-political challenges, Nigerian youth continue to shape culture through music, fashion, art, skateboarding, raves, photography and community.”

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Continuing and harping on the raison d’etre of the exhibition she said, “Young, Wild and Free exists to celebrate Nigerian youth while also creating a platform that supports and amplifies them.”