Coined from the free encyclopdeia, the Ojude Oba festival is an ancient festival celebrated by the Yoruba people of Ijebu-Ode, a town in Ogun State, Southwestern Nigeria. This annual festival usually takes place the third day after Eid al-Kabir (Ileya), to pay homage and show respect to the Royal Majesty, the Awujale of Ijebuland.
It is one of the most spiritual and glamorous festivals celebrated in Ijebuland and generally in Ogun State as a whole – Ojude Oba which means king’s fore-court in Yoruba language is usually celebrated with Pomp and pageantry by about one million people from different parts of the world and Nigeria, especially those from Yoruba origin and most especially by people of Ijebu descent all over the world. It is a festival whereby different cultural age groups are known as regberegbe, indigenes, their friends, and associates far and near parades at the front of the king’s palace on the third day of Eid al Kabir festival popularly referred to as “Ileya” in Yoruba language.
This practice is currently being held vastly across the borders as indigenes of the state now celebrate even in diaspora – this year 2022 breathes life into the elegance of an All-White Affair at the Ojude Oba Festival Atlanta 2022, which held on the 23rd of Saturday, July 2022, at the Jazzy J’s Event Hall 5134 Old National Hwy suite I, College Park, GA 30349, in the United States – the event was chaired by Oba Shola Akinrimisi and hosted by Nana (Iyalaja of Atlanta) with music delivered by none other than Olalekan Ayuba, popularly known as King Gado. Quite a success, King Gado also brought on his shine as he gave his audience a show of brilliance of being an Ekute musician – it is safe to say that the Ogun state indigene actually did shut down the 6th Ojude Oba festival in grand fashion.