The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi (Telu I), has stirred a fresh round of conversation on traditional beliefs and cultural identity after declaring that although Ògún and Ṣàngó, deities of iron and thunder respectively are his forefathers, he has chosen to deny them based on principle.
Oba Akanbi made this statement on Thursday during a courtesy visit by the Ọmọ Yorùbá Àtàtà Socio-cultural Initiative (ỌYÀSI) at his palace in Iwo.
The group, led by cultural advocate Ọlawale Ajao, is the convener of the annual World Headdress Celebration, held every 28th of December as a cultural event aimed at promoting Yorùbá heritage through the symbolic importance of headwear.
During the visit, Ajao briefed the royal father on the aims and activities of ỌYÀSI, and sought the monarch’s royal blessings and support for the forthcoming edition of the World Headdress Celebration and other flagship programmes of the initiative.
In his response, Oba Akanbi expressed strong support for the celebration and affirmed his commitment to promoting Yorùbá culture.
However, he reiterated his rejection of idol worship despite acknowledging the ancestral relevance of deities like Ogun and Ṣàngó.
“Ogun and Ṣàngó are our forefathers including mine, but I reject the image people have turned them into today,” he said.
“You say Ogun is your father, yet you feed him pap while you eat sumptuous meals. You call Ṣàngó to kill someone on your behalf. That is not a father; that is not the original identity of these figures.”
He emphasized that Ogun and Ṣàngó were historically defenders, not assassins. “Ṣàngó was called upon by the Ọyọ people during a war. He came, fought, and delivered his people. Is that who you now call a killer?”
Ogun forged tools for agriculture, hunting, and warfare—he was a provider. How then did we turn him into a figure of fear?”
The monarch stressed that the Yorùbá people should stop weaponizing their heritage and instead embrace love, respect, and rational engagement with cultural history.
“We should stop scaring ourselves with our past. Ogun and Ṣàngó should be seen as loving ancestors, not as threats”, he said.
On a broader note, the Oluwo also used the occasion to call on Fulani herders and cattle rearers to embrace modern practices, advising against the continued use of open grazing, saying “open grazing is outdated, the world has moved on, and so must we.”
The visit by ỌYÀSI marks a significant endorsement of its cultural revival efforts and signals royal backing for the upcoming World Headdress Celebration, a growing global platform for the preservation and celebration of African identity through dress and symbolism.