Today, July 1st, marks a poignant milestone in the life of Nigerian journalist, filmmaker, actor, and farmer, Gbolahan Adetayo, as he commemorates 20 years since the passing of his beloved father, Chief Edward Adetayo Adekoya, the revered Balogun of Ipara Remo in Ogun State.
In an emotional tribute, Gbolahan described his late father as more than a parent, calling him a warrior, a pillar, and a guiding light whose absence was deeply felt, especially during a critical transition in his life.
“Daddy left just around the time I gained admission into a higher institution,” he reflected. “It was a moment when I needed his guidance the most, but God, in His infinite wisdom, chose otherwise.”
Despite the passage of time, the pain of loss remains vivid for the accomplished creative, who credits much of his strength and character to his father’s early influence. He recalled the profound conversations they shared in his youth, some of which he only came to understand more deeply as an adult and a father himself.
“You loved me not just because I was the last born of my mother, but because you saw something in me. You knew I would be great,” he wrote. “You had wisdom, foresight, and a heart that always listened, even to a young boy like me.”
Chief Edward Adetayo Adekoya was widely known as a brave and complex man , one who stood up to kings, held deeply to tradition, and wielded significant influence in his community. While Gbolahan acknowledged his father’s traditional powers, he emphasized how his own journey has taken a different, spiritually transformed path.
“Though your power was rooted in tradition and the diabolic, God has rewritten that path in me. Through Christ, I have become even stronger, not by might, but by grace,” he affirmed.
Gbolahan ended the tribute with powerful oriki (Yoruba praise poetry) and a heartfelt prayer for his father’s continued rest in peace.
“May your bold, enduring soul continue to rest in perfect peace. Sun re ooo, Balogun Dodo Ndawa, Omo Jongo.”
Chief Edward Adetayo Adekoya may be gone, but through his son’s life and legacy, his memory continues to live on, a testimony of love, resilience, and ancestral pride.