Still on the Ilorin Durbar: How N150 Million Hijacked Tradition and Twisted the Narrative
Wahab Oba
23/05/’25
Let me begin by stating unequivocally that I hold our revered traditional institution and His Royal Highness, the Emir of Ilorin, in the highest esteem. I am not oblivious to the weight of tradition, the sanctity of the palace, and the need for decorum in times of controversy. However, when sacred traditions are manipulated, when cultural legacies are hijacked for transient political gains, and when silence becomes complicity, the truth must be told, no matter how uncomfortable. This is what informed this writeup.
I have been reliably informed by a respected member of the Ilorin Durbar Committee, under the condition of anonymity, about the behind-the-scenes drama that culminated in the release last night of the controversial statement signed by Engr. Yahaya Alapansapa, Chairman of the Ilorin Emirate Durbar Committee.
What I learned paints a disturbing picture of a revered cultural institution reduced to a political pawn in the hands of those who would rather exploit the Durbar as a tool of political leverage than preserve it as a symbol of unity and pride for the Ilorin Emirate.
This is not hearsay or idle speculation. The facts are in the open: the letter written by the Durbar Committee to the Kwara State Government begging for money to organise the Durbar; the pitiful financial state that prompted the appeal; the N150 million offer dangled before them; and the suffocating conditions tied to it. For those who hold the Ilorin Durbar sacred, this sequence of events is nothing short of sacrilege.
The deal, reportedly brokered under duress, saw the Committee, under the leadership of Engr. Alapansapa capitulate to the State Government’s political demands for control over the 2025 Durbar. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, allegedly angered by the Committee’s “neutrality” regarding Senator Saliu Mustapha’s pavilion project, is said to have pressured them into submission: accept the N150 million sponsorship only if you dance to the government’s tune.
With barely three weeks to the Durbar and only about N5 million raised from a few well-meaning sons and daughters of the Emirate, the Committee had no choice but to turn cap-in-hand to Governor AbdulRazaq for a lifeline. But that lifeline came with strings attached.
In return for the State Government’s financial support, the Committee was allegedly instructed to, among other things, publicly disassociate itself from and misrepresent the facts surrounding Senator Mustapha’s pavilion project; recognize Governor AbdulRazaq as the sole sponsor of the 2025 Durbar; exclude political opponents, especially former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Senator Saliu Mustapha, Hon. Moshood Mustapha, and Mallam Lukman Mustapha from the celebrations; and for the first time, allow the conspicuous presence of the Governor’s lackey and anointed 2027 gubernatorial stooge.
Within 48 hours of this closed-door arrangement, the Committee released a public statement that bore the unmistakable fingerprints of government dictation. The tone, the omissions, and the narrative slant all pointed to a carefully orchestrated move to politicize what is supposed to be a celebration of heritage and identity.
Even more troubling is the Committee’s sudden erasure of history. As recently as 2018, during the tenure of former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, the Ilorin Durbar was revived in grand style. Both former Governor Ahmed and Senator Bukola Saraki played pivotal roles in restoring the Durbar’s dignity and glamour. Today, their names are deliberately omitted from the records in an act of historical revisionism. For what? A few wads of cash and political convenience?
The real tragedy here is that the Ilorin Durbar, meant to celebrate our shared history and unity, is now being reduced to a partisan jamboree. What should have been an honorable gesture of cultural support has become a veiled campaign rally.
Let it be clear: the Ilorin Durbar belongs to the people. It is a sacred tradition of the Emirate, not a tool in any governor’s reelection or succession strategy. It must not be held hostage by manipulation or financial coercion.
The Durbar Committee, peopled by otherwise respected sons and daughters of the Emirate, should have resisted this compromise. They should have stood firm in defence of our heritage, not surrendered it at the altar of political expediency.
The people are watching. And history, unlike money, never forgets.
