By Akanthe Jeremiah Hunsu For decades, the ancient community of Koga-Zebbe stood without a king. But this void did not make it any less sig...
By Akanthe Jeremiah Hunsu
For decades, the ancient community of Koga-Zebbe stood without a king. But this void did not make it any less significant. Long before the British drew their colonial boundaries, Koga-Zebbe was already a vibrant hub, a gateway where goods and services moved freely, and a place that featured prominently in the economic plans of early colonial administrators.
Koga wasn’t just a settlement it was a symbol of commerce and strategy, a community that held both cultural and economic weight.
Through divine orchestration and the tireless efforts of its prominent sons and daughters, the community finally witnessed the enthronement of a new monarch. And notably, this happened under the administration of Hon. Olusegun Adeniran Onilude, the outgoing Executive Chairman of Badagry Local Government. In fact, his tenure recorded the highest number of enthroned Ogu kings in recent times a quiet revolution in the revival of cultural heritage and local leadership.
The monarch of Koga-Zebbe, like many before him, is expected to be a father to all. His throne is above partisan squabbles. Yet, eyebrows were raised when he publicly identified with the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the current political season despite the fact that one of his subjects is running on the platform of an opposition party.
This has drawn murmurs from political watchers and loyalists. But kings, too, live in the real world. And in the real world, silence is not always neutrality. Especially when the stakes involve the future of one's community.
Take, for example, the recent uproar when Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party’s gubernatorial candidate in Lagos, posted a picture of himself receiving a chieftaincy title in Badagry. It triggered widespread reactions. And who bore the brunt of that controversy? The community leader who allowed it to happen in his domain. Not because he had erred, but because in politics as in traditional institutions optics and alliances matter.
The Koga monarch's support for the APC candidate may be strategic, even survivalist. His kingdom is currently benefiting from government goodwill: the Member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Sesi Oluwaseun Whingan of the APC is from his community; a prominent figure at the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Mr. Akinyemi Mautin Olajuwon appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is one of his own; and the outgoing Leader of the Legislative House at the local level, Hon. Taofiq Akindele is also from Koga-Zebbe.
Government-backed projects like the reconstruction of the Avia-Igborosun road a critical artery for his people are already ongoing. As at this morning, workers from the Lagos State Public Works Corporation were seen on that road carrying out palliative work. These are not coincidences. They are results of advocacy, access, and alignment.
So when the king leans toward the party in power, is it betrayal or wisdom? Is it a political endorsement or a strategic move to protect his community’s interest?
To some, it may seem like playing it safe. To others, it is a clear-headed decision rooted in pragmatism. After all, loyalty, like charity, begins at home and no monarch wants to be seen as biting the hand that builds the road to his own palace.
In the end, kings must do what kings must do for the people, for the land, and for the legacy.
Akanthe Hunsu Writes from Erekiti-Ajido
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