As the rhythmic beats of the talking drum echo through the ancient town of Ora-Igbomina in Ifedayo LGA, and the air fills with the scent of burning incense and fresh palm wine, history and culture meet in a spectacular embrace. This year’s “ISAGUN FESTIVAL” is not just another celebration in the town’s rich cultural calendar, it is a grand convergence of tradition, royalty, and destiny, anchored by the ascension and coronation of HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, OBA JOHNSON ADEKANMI ALANI ABIKOYE (Orolotimoyewa Ariwajoye I), the 31st ASA-OONI OF ORA-IGBOMINA.
For the people of Ora-Igbomina, the 2025 Isagun Festival is more than festivity; it is a statement of identity, a celebration of continuity, and a renewed covenant between the crown and the community. At the centre of it all stands a monarch whose life story reads like a carefully scripted journey towards purposeful leadership.
A Prince Destined for the Crown:- Born over four decades ago into the noble household of the late Chief James Adewole Abikoye and the late Olori Juliana Olawunmi Abikoye, young Johnson Adekanmi’s roots run deep into the heart of Ora’s royal history. As a direct grandson of the revered Pa Solomon Abikoye of the Ayeloro-Atije Royal Dynasty of the Orolotimoyewa Ruling House. He did not just inherit a name; he inherited a legacy of integrity, communal service, and unquestionable traditional authority.
From childhood, he was immersed in a home where culture was not an occasional display but a way of life. Discipline was not enforced by fear but by example. Humility and faith were not slogans but values lived out daily. These early influences quietly moulded a future monarch whose reign today reflects those enduring principles.
From Classroom to Community: The Making of a Leader:- The story of Oba Abikoye’s rise is inseparable from his pursuit of knowledge and passion for service. His educational journey began at St. Stephen’s Anglican Primary School, Ora-Igbomina, where teachers and peers alike saw in him a spark of curiosity and a budding sense of leadership.
At Ora Secondary Commercial Grammar School, where he completed his WASCE/SSCE in 1999, he demonstrated the resilience and determination of a young man ready to shape his own future. Rather than idling away after secondary school, he stepped early into the world of work.
In 2001, he joined SAADAB Investment Ltd as a Sales Assistant. It did not take long for his employers to recognise his honesty, diligence, and reliability. Within a short time, he rose to become Sales Manager, a position he held until 2005. Those formative years in the private sector taught him the importance of accountability, resource management, and human relations, skills that now play a crucial role in his style of traditional leadership.
That same 2005, he took a bold step back into the classroom, gaining admission into Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, for a Diploma in Law. On campus, he was not content to be an ordinary student. His sharp mind and organisational skills propelled him into leadership, and in 2006, he was elected National President of the National Association of Ora-Igbomina Students (NAOS). Two years later, in 2008, the confidence reposed in him grew even stronger as he again emerged National President of the Federation of Ifedayo Local Government Students’ Union (FISU).
In both roles, he used his voice and position to champion the interests of his people, advocating for youth empowerment, better educational opportunities, and sustained development for his hometown and local government at large. Long before anyone called him “Kabiyesi,” he was already serving as a bridge between the dreams of the youth and the aspirations of his community.
Service Before the Crown:- After his studies, Prince Adekanmi did not chase glamour; he chose service. In 2010, he briefly served as a classroom teacher at Immaculate Conception College, Soka, Ibadan. That experience deepened his respect for teachers and reinforced his belief that education is the true engine of national progress.
That same year, driven by a strong spiritual foundation, he enrolled at Ultimate Power Gospel College, Ibadan, where he obtained a Certificate in Theology. It was more than a certificate, it was a testimony of his grounding in faith, a quality that continues to shape his leadership philosophy as a king who knows that power is best exercised with the fear of God.
Between 2011 and 2016, he served as a Personal Assistant to the Chairman of Ifedayo Local Government. In that role, he gained firsthand experience in grassroots governance and community administration, studying closely how policies, people, and politics interact at the local level.
His political and administrative trajectory continued upward. From 2019 to 2020, he served as the Senior Legislative Assistant to Hon. (Mrs.) Adenike Abioye at the Osun State House of Assembly, further sharpening his understanding of lawmaking, representation, and public accountability.
Recognising his loyalty, competence, and clarity of vision, the then Governor of Osun State, H.E. Adegboyega Oyetola, appointed him on May 2, 2020, as a Member of the Ifedayo Local Government Education Authority (LGEA Board). Not one to hide in the shadows, he later rose to become Osun State Chairman of the Forum of LGEA Board Members, amplifying his influence in the basic education sector.
In 2022, he was appointed Secretary of Ifedayo Local Government (often referred to locally as Executive Secretary/SLG), a position in which he distinguished himself through transparency, openness, and a firm commitment to community development.
A Royal Entrepreneur:- Away from public office, Oba Abikoye’s entrepreneurial prowess saw expression in 2018 when he co-founded Global Heritage Resources Ltd. As Chief Executive Officer, he brought structure, innovation, and sound management ideas into the enterprise. His experience in the private sector, combined with his public service, today equips him with a unique perspective: he understands both the language of traditional institutions and the dynamics of modern economic realities.
A Monarch with a Heart for Home and Family:- In 2012, he married his heartthrob, now Her Royal Majesty, Olori Oluwasholape Jumoke Abikoye (née Fadipe), a woman described by many as the quiet pillar behind the throne, gracious, supportive, and deeply committed to family and community. Their union is blessed with God-fearing children, symbolising continuity not only of bloodline but of values.
Before ascending the throne, he also served as Chairman of the Oke-Ayan Ajuloolopin Community Development Association in Okinni. That role was more than a title; it was a practical demonstration of his belief that true leadership begins at the grassroots, serving one’s immediate environment before being entrusted with larger responsibilities.
The Journey to the Throne:- The path to the Asa-Ooni’s stool is steep, sacred, and heavily guided by tradition. For Prince Johnson Adekanmi Abikoye, destiny called formally on October 8, 2024, when the Kingmakers of Ora-Igbomina selected him as the Asa-Ooni-designate, having earlier been nominated as one of the candidates from the Orolotimoyewa Ruling House.
His selection was not merely a matter of birthright; it was a validation of character, competence, and consistency in service. The Osun State Executive Council, under the leadership of H. E. Governor Jackson Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke, ratified his selection on December 27, 2024, sealing the royal decision with the authority of the state.
On December 30, 2024, he was traditionally installed as the 31st Asa-Ooni of Ora-Igbomina, a paramount ruler standing on the shoulders of revered ancestors. That day, the drums spoke louder than usual. The songs were deeper. The people knew that history was not just being remembered, it was being rewritten.
Barely a week into the new year, on January 5, 2025, His Royal Majesty received his certificate and instrument of office from the Osun State Government, presented on behalf of the Governor by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. (Barr.) Dosu Babatunde. With that, a new chapter officially opened for Ora-Igbomina: a chapter of unity, progress, and cultural renaissance.
ISAGUN FESTIVAL 2025: CULTURE, CORONATION AND CONTINUTY
This year’s Isagun Festival, coming on the heels of his installation and formal recognition, is especially symbolic. For generations, Isagun has been a festival of thanksgiving, harvest, protection, and communal identity for the people of Ora-Igbomina. It is the time when sons and daughters at home and in the diaspora return to reconnect with their roots, pay homage to the ancestors, and renew their allegiance to the throne and to the land.
But in 2025, Isagun carries an added colour: it doubles as a grand celebration of the coronation and early reign of Oba Johnson Adekanmi Alani Abikoye. The palace courtyard is alive with pageantry. Chiefs in resplendent regalia, women in matching aso-ebi, youths with energy and pride, cultural troupes in dynamic formations, all converge to honour a king who represents a bridge between the old and the new.
Under his watch, the festival is not just a ritual of the past; it is being repositioned as a cultural brand and a potential tourist attraction, with prospects for boosting local commerce, showcasing indigenous arts, and uniting indigenes across religious, political, and social lines.
The 2025 celebration also serves as a platform for the monarch to articulate his vision: a more united Ora-Igbomina, a town of disciplined youths, empowered families, thriving businesses, and vibrant tradition. In his speeches and interactions, Kabiyesi emphasises education, moral rebirth, and community self-help as core pillars of development.
A King for the Times:- In an age where traditional institutions must constantly prove their relevance, Oba Johnson Adekanmi Abikoye stands out as a monarch of balance, deeply rooted in ancestral wisdom yet fully conversant with the demands of modern leadership.
His experience in governance, education, enterprise, and community development places him in a unique position to lead Ora-Igbomina into a future where culture and development are not enemies, but partners. He brings into the palace the discipline of administration, the empathy of a teacher, the insight of a policy aide, the conviction of a man of faith, and the pragmatism of an entrepreneur.
As the drums of Isagun 2025 vibrate through Ora’s hills and valleys, they carry a message: the stool of Asa-Ooni is not vacant, the heritage of the ancestors is secure, and the future is being carefully charted under the watch of Orolotimoyewa Ariwajoye I.
For the people of Ora-Igbomina, at home and abroad, this is a season of gratitude and renewed hope. A season to celebrate not just a festival, but a king; not just a coronation, but a covenant; not just a past preserved, but a future being prepared.
And at the centre of it all stands His Royal Majesty, Oba Johnson Adekanmi Alani Abikoye, the 31st Asa-Ooni of Ora-Igbomina, a king whose story is still being written, but whose legacy has already begun.
