Dapo Abiodun’s ‘Crowd-For-Cash’ Plot Disrupts Awujale’s Final Rites

What was meant to be a day of solemn reflection and royal honour for one of Nigeria’s most revered traditional rulers has taken a dramatic turn, as a scandal involving Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun threatens to eclipse the burial of the late Awujale of Ijebuland.

Set against the backdrop of the stately city of Ijebu Ode, preparations for the final rites of the Awujale, an event steeped in culture, reverence, and ancestral pride, have now been clouded by claims of political manipulation and public deception.

According to insider reports, Governor Abiodun has allegedly mobilized thousands of individuals to attend the burial not out of respect for the late monarch, but in a strategic move to impress President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is expected to grace the occasion.

Multiple sources from within the Ijebu Ode Local Government area, speaking under strict anonymity, confirmed that participants were allegedly promised ₦20,000 each to join the crowd. A senior civil servant disclosed that logistics and cash were discreetly handled by close aides of the governor, with express instructions to ensure “massive turnout and visual support” around the presidential entourage.

“The governor wants to show strength in his home base,” the source said. “He knows President Tinubu watches these things. It’s about optics.”

Observers say the move may be linked to Governor Abiodun’s rumored dwindling influence, particularly within Ogun East, his traditional political stronghold, where opposition voices have grown louder since the last general elections.

Large banners of the governor, conspicuously dotting the roads leading to the burial venue, further reinforce the idea that today’s events are being used to stage a politically choreographed spectacle, rather than a strictly cultural observance.

While many local indigenes and loyalists of the late Awujale are preparing to pay their final respects, there is rising unease among Ijebu elites and traditionalists who fear the sacredness of the moment is being eroded by political theatrics.

“No royal burial should be turned into a campaign rally the way governor Abiodun has done,” said one community elder. “This is not the time to score political points. It’s a time for honour, reflection, and unity.”

Efforts to get an official response from Governor Abiodun’s media team were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.

The scandal has sparked widespread conversations online and in community circles, with many questioning the ethical lines of political ambition, especially at a moment so deeply spiritual for Ijebuland.

As the burial ceremonies continue today under the watchful eyes of dignitaries, royal families, and citizens, the controversy lingers like a shadow, threatening to taint what should have been a dignified national farewell.

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