Culture

Oba of Benin Council Bill Opposition Sparks Edo Outrage

Published

1 year ago

August 2, 2025

Oba of Benin council bill opposition intensifies as Ogbakha-Edo demands withdrawal of proposed law favoring Ooni, Sultan as permanent council co-chairs

Oba of Benin council bill opposition is gaining momentum as a prominent Edo group, Ogbakha-Edo, on Friday called for the immediate withdrawal of a proposed bill that would make the Ooni of Ife and Sultan of Sokoto permanent co-chairmen of the Nigerian Council of Traditional Rulers.

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In a strongly worded statement signed by Prof. Sam Guobadia (Chairman) and Dr. Andrew Osaretin Izekor (Secretary), the group rejected what it described as a blatant attempt to diminish the authority and stature of the Oba of Benin, one of Nigeria’s most revered monarchs.

“We reject in totality any attempt to undermine or diminish the authority of the Oba of Benin,” the statement read. “This proposal is not only historically unjustifiable, it is provocative, divisive, and culturally offensive.”

Ogbakha-Edo argued that the leadership of the traditional rulers’ council should be non-permanent and rotational among all first-class traditional rulers in Nigeria to ensure fairness and cultural equity.

They denounced the bill as a product of political expediency and past protocols of convenience, insisting it would amount to institutionalizing hierarchical supremacy where none should exist.

“The Benin people, with centuries of sovereignty and cultural pride, will not accept a constitutionally enshrined system that places the Oba of Benin beneath any other monarch,” the group declared.

They emphasized that the proposed arrangement was an affront to historical justice and an insult to the revered status of the Benin throne.

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The group warned that further moves to pass the bill could ignite deeper ethnic and cultural tensions, urging the National Assembly to scrap the bill immediately in the interest of national unity and respect for Nigeria’s diverse monarchies.

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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.”