Throughout history, religions and religious leaders have impacted the affairs of countries. For instance, the ‘Asian Miracle’ is in part explained by the discipline and work ethic integral to the Buddhist religion. Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and other religions have also helped to shape societies. This is why some have remarked that with so many Christians and Muslims in Nigeria, there is very little Christianity and very little Islam. It appears that in our country, religion is only capable of serving as a tool for division and exploitation. It is therefore refreshing to see a Tik-Tok video of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye delivering what could be termed a ‘palace sermon’ to the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Ọba Ghandi Afọlábí Ọláoyè, Orumógege III. The ‘sermon’ was not about God or the Kingdom of God; it was about the Soun’s own domain. It is also, in a way, about leadership, although we will get to that later.

Since the former RCCG Pastor in Washington DC was crowned as Soun of Ogbomoso last year, he has been embroiled in a war of attrition with diverse interest groups within the community. The latest controversy began when the monarch appointed a ‘Palace Imam’, in a not-too-clever attempt to oust the Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland, Dr Teliat Yunus Ayilara II, despite court injunctions restraining such action. It is even more interesting that there is no Mosque at the Palace where an Imam appointed by the monarch can lead prayer! “The fact that he (the monarch) is physically imposing, has considerable wealth and belongs to the IJGB (I Just Got Back) clan from America doesn’t mean he should disrespect his subjects or ride roughshod over us,” a prominent Ogbomosho indigene told me in response to Pastor Adeboye’s video I forwarded to him. “If he (the Soun) doesn’t heed the counsel of Pastor Adeboye, he won’t enjoy his reign.”

What the two contrasting views suggest is that all is not well in Ogbomoso, which is essentially the kernel of Pastor Adeboye’s message to the Soun, that he delivered publicly in Yoruba. It is about inclusion and the limits of temporal power. Although the Soun may be addressed as the unquestionable sovereign (Kabiyesi), Pastor Adeboye used a simple story to illustrate why the monarch must also recognize other “principalities and powers” in his domain if he wants to stay long and stay well on the throne. Interestingly, Pastor Adeboye prefaced his ‘sermon’ (delivered in four minutes) with apologies to non-Yoruba people who were with him during the encounter with the Soun. He said it would be disrespectful to address a Yoruba monarch in English. While still struggling with the interpretation, I discovered that Dr Lasisi Olagunju used the same intervention by Pastor Adeboye in his ‘Monday Lines’ column to address the issue of leadership in Nigeria. I have secured permission to reproduce his rendition of Pastor Adeboye’s message to the Soun:

Several years ago, there was an incident in a town called Ejigbo. It was noticed that the kings there died as soon as they ascended the throne. Then, it was the turn of a young man to be king. His case was a very precarious one. If he became king, he would die. If he refused to be king, it would be the end of his royal lineage in that town because he was the very last prince there alive. One day, the young prince was going to the farm in great sorrow. Then, he bumped into an old man because he was troubled. He begged the old man for forgiveness. “Omo aládé, kí ló dé?” (Prince, what is the problem?), the old man asked him. He told the old man his problem. “It is my turn to be king, but I don’t want to die.”

The old man listened to him; then told him it was a simple thing. ‘On the day of your enthronement, tell your drummers not to repeat the beat they used for your predecessors. They should change it.’ The old man then told the prince what his beat should say. Between them, it was a secret. The D-Day came. He became king. It was time for celebrations. The king came out to dance round the town. The witches of the town, devourers of the earlier kings, assembled as usual under their tree, waiting for the drumbeat.

The old beat was:

Eléjìgbò l’ó l’Èjìgbò;

Èmi nÌkan ni mo l’Èjìgbò.

(Eléjìgbò, the king, owns Ejigbo; I alone own Èjìgbò).

But by the time the drummers of the new king started beating the drum for him, they came with a new beat:

Eléjìgbò l’ó l’Èjìgbò;

T’èmi tì’e l’a l’Èjìgbò.

Eléjìgbò l’ó l’Èjìgbò;

Gbogbo wa l’a l’Èjìgbò.

(Eléjìgbò owns Èjìgbò; You and I own Èjìgbò. Eléjìgbò owns Èjìgbò; We all own Èjìgbò).

The witches exchanged glances. “This is strange! Who gave this young man this wisdom?” That was how the young king danced round the town. He was king and he was on the throne for a very long time. 

In his column, Olagunju said he took Pastor Adeboye’s intervention “as a sermon for all who think or take themselves to be owners of Nigeria.” Since conventional wisdom teaches that to whom you can whisper, you need not shout, I also believe Pastor Adeboye’s message was not only for the Soun but all those who hold positions of authority in our country. Otherwise, he could have quietly invited the monarch to Redemption Camp and deliver his ‘homily’ to him alone. But it is also a message that the Soun needs.

Even from Oba Ghandi’s public explanation regarding the crisis within his domain, it is evident that he may not be getting the right counsel. “Soun Ogunlola who founded the throne was a pure traditionalist; he worshipped Ogun deity. We Christians and Muslims are just intruding so to say; it originally belonged to the traditional religion worshipers so we should encourage religious harmony,” he said while dismissing the insinuation that the crisis is about religion. “I have refused to remove him (Chief Imam Teliat) despite him taking me to court. But I told him, ‘You can’t take me to court and be leading me in prayer’, We don’t go to court and become friends. You that took me to court your intention is to win, to win against the Oba, and you call yourself an indigene of this town. Such prayer can’t be answered, I believe. I am a pastor, if I take my member to court will I lead prayer, and such member will say amen?” The monarch further said: “I have been an alfa (pastor) for 32 years; I believe Imam Teliat was still wearing pants then. That is the truth. And as Christians, we don’t mount the pulpit to abuse a king, I don’t know your religion much but in Christendom, we don’t do that, although some pastors say nonsense too.”

When in September 2023 Governor Seyi Makinde announced the approval of Olaoye as the new Soun of Ogbomosoland, one of the first persons to congratulate him is the embattled Grand Chief Imam who called on all sons and daughters to “join hands with our Soun-Elect Prince Afolabi Olaoye in building a peaceful, harmonious and prosperous Ogbomosoland.” He ended his statement with a prayer: “May Almighty Allah bestow upon him, knowledge and wisdom, grant him long life and good health, bless his reign and increase Ogbomosoland in abundance.” So, whatever may be their differences now, the Soun should play his role as father of all. It is just as well that Pastor Adeboye ended his story to the Ogbomoso monarch with a familiar line in Yoruba adage: “Kabiyesi, half a word, as they say, is enough for the wise.”

Even if we discount the preeminent position he holds in Christendom in Nigeria, Pastor Adeboye is also a grand old man of 82, which means that he has been around long enough to have seen things. The Ogbomoso Kabiyesi would do well to listen to him. More importantly, other religious leaders could also learn a thing or two from this kind of intervention, especially those who have continued to use the pulpit to fan the embers of division and sow the seeds of discord in the land—just to earn the momentary applause of the mob. A multicultural nation like ours can only survive on mutual respect, inclusion and tolerance.

Now to the bigger picture. A crucial element in Pastor Adeboye’s story is the Yoruba Talking Drum that has been described as “Africa’s most essential and culturally significant instrument,” and an “assertive communication, healing, and empowerment tool.” It is often deployed to create sounds like words while connecting listeners with ancestors and sharing deep messages which perhaps explains its association with Yoruba palaces. The multivocality is where the Yoruba talking drum derives its power, a point of reference in African scholarship. This has given rise to a proverb: Kò sí ẹnì tó mọ̀ èdè àyàn, à fi ẹni tí ó mú ọ̀pá ẹ lọ́wọ́ (Only the man who wields the stick understands what the drum is saying). But the initiated, like the witches in Pastor Adeboye’s story, hear every word (and understand the embedded meaning) from the talking drum.

For nations, citizens are like those witches. They understand every drumbeat from their leaders. It is therefore a tragic error for a leader (political or traditional) to lose sight of his people, whether by neglecting their needs, failing to communicate effectively, or ignoring their perspectives. To situate that within the context of Nigeria, those who lead (at all levels and in all spheres) should understand that the old drumbeat must give way for the new, especially in this year 2025.

Reforms are good and quite necessary in critical sectors of our country today. But if citizens must sacrifice in the face of economic hardship, those elected to serve them cannot continue to live in obscene opulence. What is required is shared sacrifice which reawakens people’s faith in leaders and strengthens community bonds. In contrast, when leaders live like emperors and permit their children the indulgence of reviewing parades and inspecting guards of honour, it is a sign that they are still dancing to the old drumbeat.

The biggest mistake anybody in power, at any level, can make is to treat leadership as a position of authority rather than a responsibility to serve and elevate others. The inability to grasp that by a succession of elected and appointed public officials is why Nigeria is where we are today. But by recognizing the unique strengths of individuals from all backgrounds – whether based on race, religion, gender, ability, or experience – leaders can harness the full potential of the people for the advancement of their society. Therefore, to discard the old tune and embrace the new, Nigerian leaders must challenge their own biases and work to create a culture where discrimination and exclusion are not tolerated.

Now, let’s conclude with the message of the talking drum. Accountable leaders are always deliberate about the kind of tune that comes from their drummers. And they place the public good over their own indulgences and vanity while adhering to ethical standards. There may be no witches to deal with deviant inclinations, but in the fullness of time, the consequences of bad choices often become manifest.

I wish all my readers a most prosperous year 2025!